


Hear Our Voice

by GemNika



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood and Violence, Class Issues, CoLu Week, CoLu Week 2020, Doxxing is Bad, Environmentalism, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Military Background, Police Brutality, Poverty, Protests, Racism, Strangers to Lovers, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:14:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24572881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemNika/pseuds/GemNika
Summary: CoLu Week 2020. A factory is being built in Magnolia, and two groups clash over the new construction.
Relationships: Cobra | Erik/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 28
Kudos: 78
Collections: CoLu Week 2020





	1. Introduction and Prompts

**Welcome to CoLu Week 2020!**

It's June, which means _Dragonshost_ is hosting CoLu Week for the 6th year running! And, of course, I'm participating. I wasn't sure what I would write this year, or if I would be able to conjure up something to give you all. Especially with the state of affairs in the world right now. The muse has been relatively fickle lately. But, I'll be bringing you a whole new story for this event, with one chapter for each prompt. More notes to follow.

Here are the prompts, in case you don't know yet!

* * *

 **Dates:** June 14, 2020 - June 20, 2020

**Prompts:**

Day 1: _Splinter_

Day 2: _Constellation_

Day 3: _Port_

Day 4: _Freedom_

Day 5: _Mosaic_

Day 6: _Weight_

Day 7: _Frost_

Day 8 (Bonus): _Imposter_

* * *

This week will obviously be rated M (it's me, we're talking about... Of course that's the rating…). I'm laying down the blanket disclaimer here:

**Please be aware that this is _Explicit_ for a reason.**

However, the rating this year is _**not**_ due to citrus of any sort. (It's possible that I might find a way to add something citrusy, but I'm not sure if it'll be there.) The content and images in the story are what give it the higher rating this time around.

Given the state of affairs where I live (in the US), and the protests currently happening, this was the only inspiration I had. I fully support the Black Lives Matter movement, but this story isn't a BLM story. It will be about a protest, and will use real-world events that have already been well-documented in just the last two weeks. I am _not_ writing this to make a political statement. The views presented on different sides are those of fictitious characters, and do not necessarily align with my own as the author.

Normally, I do invite healthy conversation regarding controversial topics, but my fanfic page is not the place for that.

I'm using this story as a means of expression, to sort out my own feelings regarding events currently taking place. I'm not using this as propaganda or a piece to condemn one side over another. I'm sure most of you understand this already, but I feel it needs to be said for those who might not get it and then might decide to try and flame me for a story.

* * *

I'm looking forward to see the amazing work that comes from everyone this CoLu Week! This is one of the best times of the year!

Keep writing, reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting!

~~GemNika.


	2. Splinter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to CoLu Week 2020! This year is fucking insane, in so many ways. I hope you're all continuing to practice social distancing during this pandemic, and staying safe if you're participating in protests. Sadly, I haven't been out to the protests in my area, because it's too difficult to continue to follow Covid-19 precautions in a large crowd, so I've resolved to be one of the many who share credible news with my friends and family.
> 
> In this instance, I've chosen to write.
> 
> As I said in the introduction chapter, this story is about a protest. It's not a BLM protest, as those are currently happening in the US and across the globe, but there will still be some issues that are drawn from real-world events.
> 
> The chapters might end up being shorter than what you're used to from me, but I wanted to make sure this didn't turn into a monster story that I couldn't complete over the course of CoLu Week.
> 
> Regardless, I hope you guys enjoy this!
> 
> (I have to work tomorrow morning, so I'm posting this prompt a few hours early)

" _After a lengthy social media campaign went viral just last week over the opposition of this new construction, CEO of Tartaros Enterprises, Mard Geer Tartaros, has finally confirmed that he will not be swayed from helping the community by providing hundreds of jobs for Magnolia citizens."_

Lucy lowered her beer mug from her lips and frowned up at the bar television airing the 7 o'clock news. The din in the Fairy Tail Pub was surprisingly quiet for a Wednesday night, but she was thankful for it. She really wasn't in the mood to hear a rowdy bunch of drunks. It hadn't been a bad day for her, but she was exhausted. Lucy just wanted to have a few beers, shoot the shit with Mira and Laxus - if he decided to show up - and call it a night.

"Mira, turn that up," she said, waving down the nearby barmaid.

At the increased volume, the few other patrons lowered their voices and set their attention on the television just as an image of Magnolia's most famous rags-to-riches billionaire appeared on the screen. Mard Geer Tartaros, with his narrow, burning gaze and smug smile as he posed for a photo on the cover of some magazine Lucy didn't care about. The news station did him justice, though, choosing to portray him as a cool businessman, especially considering the quote they aired next.

" _In a statement released this afternoon, Mr. Tartaros stated, 'I grew up in Magnolia City, and I want to give back to the community who raised me. A community that is hemorrhaging from within through the inaction by shortsighted leaders in the government. If they refuse to increase the economic value of my city, then I will take matters into my own hands.'"_

Lucy completely agreed with him on that. Magnolia wasn't nearly as large a city as Crocus, but it was still pretty big. They didn't have a huge tech sector like Clover Town or Oshibana, and in recent years had seen a serious decline in the economy as a whole. And no matter how many times people had written letters to their governor to talk about the issue of being left in the dust, their voices weren't heard.

She'd come back from her two year deployment in Alvarez, just to find her friends unable to work for one reason or another. Not everyone had the same opportunities she'd had. She knew that Natsu, in particular, would be more than happy to apply for a construction job to build that factory.

New buildings meant a better infrastructure. And if there was one thing being built, maybe other companies would also want to build here in Magnolia.

" _Tartaros Enterprises has announced a press conference for next Friday,"_ the newscaster concluded. _"And now for the weather…"_

Lucy only vaguely listened to the weather report from Laki Olietta, mostly because the woman tended to use way too many meteorological terms in quick succession, and it was nearly impossible to follow her at all unless they put graphics on the screen.

Instead, she turned her attention back to her beer. And a moment later, to the group of men sitting at a table not too far away who were suddenly much more cheerful than they'd been only minutes prior.

"I did factory work before," one said. Max, she realized as she turned on her stool to smile over at them. Her old friends from the neighborhood had matured. Sure, she'd been able to come home on leave, but it was only once a year. And considering she'd joined the military at the age of 18, and stuck it out for fifteen years before being forced to retire, there was plenty she'd missed. Still, Magnolia was her home, and she'd come right back to her old neighborhood's welcoming embrace the moment she'd signed the retirement paperwork. "This is just what I need!"

"I'm right there with you, kid" Wakaba laughed around his cigar. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened while he took a long drag. "I don't know how much longer I can handle that two-hour bike ride to the other side of town, just to wash sheets in a hotel."

"Two years outta work for me," Macao sighed. "At least you _have_ a job, Wakaba."

She frowned at that. Granted, she didn't know everyone in the city, but Macao and Wakaba had been in the same neighborhood since she was just a little kid. She'd grown up with them always laughing with one another from the front stoop of their apartment building while she and Erza and Cana played hopscotch in the street. Last she knew, he'd been working as a mechanic.

Even he'd lost his job?

"This will be great," Mira said, drawing Lucy's attention back to the bar. To the silver-haired woman who never stopped smiling, regardless of how dire things got. She knew from personal experience. Mira had quite literally saved her life in Alvarez once when her unit had been cornered in some crazy bunker they'd unearthed. Even while gunning down Spriggans, Mira hadn't stopped smiling.

"I'd say so," Lucy said, sending a smile right back. "I didn't know Macao had…" She let the words die in her throat, not needing to finish the thought for Mira to catch on. After she'd done her ten years of service, Mira had ended her military career and opened this bar right in the heart of their neighborhood. She had a five year head start on getting caught up with everyone.

Mira sighed, setting down the mug she'd been drying with a rag. "Nearly everyone has," she said. "While we were gone, everything went down the drain. People could barely afford to come to the bar when I opened it up."

Lucy's chest tightened with worry, even as she reached out to take Mira's hand. It's not like there was a whole lot they could've done to keep things afloat. They'd spent their wild twenties in combat.

Their neighborhood had always been on the poor side. It wasn't the worst in Magnolia, but she knew quite a few families growing up had needed to struggle just to make their welfare checks stretch far enough. The apartments weren't great. Her own building had a rat problem that spanned back to when she was nine.

It didn't help that no one could afford to see doctors most of the time. The government health plan had a select few doctors that accepted it, and the co-pays were outrageous. Their offices were too far from the neighborhood for the ones who really needed it to get there. That was how her mother's cancer went undiagnosed until it was too late. Layla had literally worked herself to death, only going to the hospital in an ambulance after she'd collapsed during her double shift down at The Pizza Parlor.

She was just glad that their grandfather had already lived in the two-bedroom apartment with her and Laxus when she died. Lucy wasn't sure what would have happened if they'd been left with no family when she was only nine, and Laxus was eleven.

Laxus' dad, Ivan, was a shitbag. He'd knocked her mother up and took off to who even knew where. So Makarov had taken Layla in as his own. And when she'd eventually found out she was pregnant with Jude's child - the relationship had apparently been relatively new, from what Lucy had been told - he was killed by a man who was desperate for the money in his wallet.

All because the city had banned some company from building, and that man was out of work, and needed to feed his children. Lucy's own father had been killed because of the poor decisions of government officials.

"We were needed here," Lucy finally said, "but we were needed out there, too. Don't forget that."

Mira nodded and squeezed her hand in return, then went back to her work just as Max's table called for another round of beers. Spirits were definitely higher for the patrons at the Fairy Tail Pub, even for Lucy. Still, the thought of so many of her friends and neighbors having struggled - and that no one had told her in the many letters she'd gotten from home while she'd been away - didn't help to keep her in a great mood.

It wasn't until Laxus walked in the door and made a beeline to the stool beside her, just like he always did, that she felt the tension in her shoulders ease. His arm wrapped around her back, and he dragged her into a half-hug that had her smiling. Their sibling rivalry from youth had definitely made a 180 after her first deployment.

He ruined the touching moment completely when he snatched her mug from her hand and chugged it.

She sneered up at his stupid, strong jaw. "You're the worst brother ever," she muttered.

"Drinks are on me," he chuckled. "See the news?"

She nodded as he left her personal bubble to walk around the back of the bar and pour them a pitcher. One of the perks of being Mira's doting boyfriend, she already knew. "You-"

"Before you ask, yes," he said, rolling his eyes. "I've already got an interview lined up with Mard Geer, himself."

"Don't give me that," she laughed. "I worry-"

"I know," he groaned. Laxus stalled in continuing the conversation to take a large gulp of his beer, then refilled her mug. "But just because Mom's not around to worry, doesn't mean you need to get a fucking ulcer doing it yourself."

Lucy shrugged. She didn't care how much he complained. He was her big brother, and she was always going to worry about him. As long as he was going to take advantage of an opportunity to work for this new company coming to the city, she was fine. He was the best electrical engineer this side of the Sabertooth Plaza, and even though he had his own small company that was mildly successful - enough to keep food on the table, and him living comfortably - that didn't mean she wanted to him turn down an opportunity to get a great paying contract job.

Besides, she was positive that Laxus could use a bit of nepotism to his advantage. He and Mard _had_ been friends back in high school. They weren't super close, and had lost touch after a few years when Mard apparently moved out to Crocus on a scholarship for college.

Mard had lived in a nearby neighborhood, and had gone to the same high school as Lucy and Laxus. Lower Magnolia High. She hadn't talked to him much, and she'd still not gotten along all that great with Laxus at the time, with him being her older brother and all. But she did remember catching the briefest glimpses of Mard's hair swishing one way and another as he walked down the hall.

And she especially remembered how, two years after he and Laxus had graduated, he'd knocked on her bedroom door and found her staring at the simple prom dress she'd scrimped and saved for her entire senior year, with tears streaming down her cheeks. Mard had said that Laxus told him what happened, how her boyfriend dumped her just two days before prom.

He'd told her that she was going to that dance.

And when Lucy had said she didn't want to go alone, Mard Geer had walked the rest of the way into her room, sat down on her bed, dried her tears… and then he'd smiled. And he'd asked if she would be opposed to him being her date.

There hadn't been romance between them. It was just one night, one silly high school dance. But he'd made her laugh and had danced with her. He'd talked with her friends, readily agreed to having their official prom picture taken together. And at the end of the night, after taking her out for frozen custard down at the corner stand two blocks from the school, Mard had given her a soft kiss on the cheek, right on the stoop leading up to her apartment.

He'd said, "I hope tonight was fun. You deserve to smile like that all the time."

He'd gone off to Crocus a month after that. And now, he was back in Magnolia, successful and ready to help the community he'd grown up with.

Everyone was going to benefit from this new factory.

* * *

Erik yawned while waiting for his dinner to be finished. After a long day at the office, he was utterly beat. And more than thankful that he'd had the forethought to meal prep on Sunday night. Now, he just needed to wait for the microwave to beep so he could eat a reheated portion of his southwestern chili casserole.

The timer ran out, and he hopped up from the couch to grab his food. He quietly cursed the beaded curtain as he ran into it, hating Sorano for having gotten the curtain full of neon plastic peace signs as a gag housewarming gift. Of course, he'd put it up in the archway leading from his living room to his kitchen, even though it severely clashed with the slate grey walls and his black corduroy couch. Then again, nothing really matched. He preferred it that way.

His life had always been a weird mish-mash of bullshit, and he liked the strange knicknacks he'd picked up over the years. Or the ones that were forced upon his person.

He glanced toward his seven-sided, warped dining table (a gift from Macbeth, whose boyfriend at the time had been trying to learn woodworking while also keeping his own odd aesthetic), then pulled his bowl from the microwave. Macbeth always told him to get rid of that table, but Erik liked it. A lot, actually. Sure, the angles weren't quite right, and there were a couple splinters here and there from where he'd neglected to sand it perfectly. But that didn't matter. It fit six other people, as long as he pulled out all of his mismatched chairs, and that was the maximum number of people he was comfortable having around him at one time.

" _After a lengthy social media campaign went viral just last week over the opposition of this new construction, CEO of Tartaros Enterprises, Mard Geer Tartaros, has finally confirmed that he will not be swayed from helping the community by providing hundreds of jobs for Magnolia citizens."_

Erik snatched a fork from the drying rack in the sink and dashed back to the living room with his food to glare at the television. This bullshit again. Mard Geer fucking Tittieshits and his moronic corporation trying to take over and ruin the goddamn planet.

"You've got enough fucking buildings, asshole," he muttered. "Stay the fuck away."

He plopped down on the couch just as the _Business Today_ cover featuring that ponytailed mooseknuckle smeared itself on his screen.

" _In a statement released this afternoon, Mr. Tartaros stated, 'I grew up in Magnolia City, and I want to give back to the community who raised me.'"_

Bull-fucking-shit. Erik didn't need to look this guy up to know his life story. He could tell just by looking at that slithery ass, that Mard Geer probably barely lived in the city limits, on the north side of the city where everything was gated communities and chauffeurs, just two blocks away from Erik's own modest upper-middle class home. He didn't fault the shitstain for having it easy growing up, based on his parents' success, but to claim that the _community_ helped him, when he'd probably only ever gone to private schools made for the upper echelon of society?

What a cunt.

"' _A community that is hemorrhaging from within through the inaction by shortsighted leaders in the government.'"_

Erik could agree with that, at least. Economically, Magnolia wasn't doing all that great. But that was mostly because it had relied so heavily on the factories that had continued burning coal for their fires, and a nuclear plant that had finally been deemed a risk to public safety and shut down. Tons of jobs had been lost in the last few years, but for good reason. What was the point of people working, just to kill the planet?

"' _If they refuse to increase the economic value of my city, then I will take matters into my own hands.'"_

Erik sneered while taking a large bite of his food. It was mostly corn, and he hadn't added enough salt to the beans when he'd been preparing them, but he'd get over it. What he couldn't get over was the fact that this assbag had been given several minutes of airtime on the news, while Macbeth's viral campaign to end the construction of this factory before it even began was just given an honorable mention.

No one had been contacted for a statement, that he was aware of. And considering he was the legal counsel for Save Every Inhabitable Space, he would have heard about it.

" _Tartaros Enterprises has announced a press conference for next Friday,"_ the newscaster concluded. _"And now for the weather…"_

Erik rolled his eyes and took another bite, this time almost completely under-seasoned macaroni. Fuck, he needed to stir his ingredients better before baking the casserole. His phone started ringing just as he stabbed the bottom of his bowl and viciously stirred the contents. He reached over and put it on speaker, then took another bite. "What?"

" _Did you see that garbage?"_

He lowered his bowl and looked over at the phone, only to find Juvia's contact picture filling the screen. He really should have looked to see who was calling before answering.

Rookie fucking mistake on his part.

"I did," he said around a mouthful of food.

" _What are we going to do?"_

"We?" he asked. Fuck, he hadn't gotten a drink. Maybe now would be a good time to get up and do that. But did he want cranapple juice or just a glass of water? Maybe he could splurge and drink a soda… if he had any in the back of his fridge.

" _Get the lettuce out of your ears, you level eight vegan shit,"_ Macbeth's voice drawled. Ah, so those two were together. Interesting.

"I'm a vegetarian," Erik shot back. He still wasn't sure why Macbeth always gave him shit for not eating meat. That fucking stringbean could eat whatever he wanted, Erik didn't care, but he just couldn't stomach an animal's corpse in his mouth. "Vegans are fucking psychotic, unless it's a medical condition."

" _Regardless!"_ Juvia shouted. _"He's holding a press conference to talk about building that factory!"_

"And as your lawyer, I can say with one-hundred percent certainty that, should you decide to oppose his little presentation in public, be prepared to do it as peacefully as possible. Because some corporate bigwig like that will have the cops at the fucking ready to mace your ass."

" _That's a given,"_ Macbeth said. There was a distinct crunch - Erik was positive he heard Macbeth moan under his breath about bacon - and then rustling on the other end of the line. _"Lisanna looked it up. She texted me and said it's at three in the afternoon next Friday, down by the pier."_

"Why the pier?" Erik muted the television, and that weird fucking weather woman with the pale purple hair.

" _You didn't know?"_ Juvia asked.

"Pretend I'm an idiot."

" _He's going to build that factory, like, two blocks from Hargeon Bay,"_ Macbeth spat. _"All that pollution, going right into the water. The same thing happened to Dawn City five years ago, and their water is still polluted and undrinkable!"_

"Same company?" Erik asked. He set down his bowl and picked up his phone to run a quick search himself.

" _Not sure-"_

Erik's indigo eyes blew wide at the slew of articles on the screen that he scrolled past.

**Balam Industrial Floods Dawn City With Pollution**

**Balam Industrial Sued for $95B, Damages Astronomical to Water Supply**

**Balam CFO, Zeref Dragneel, Charged With Fraud**

And when he searched for Zeref Dragneel, and checked images, he found it. Some hoity-toity fucking shindig with paparazzi doing their civic duty during the investigation into Balam Industrial's miraculously vanishing capital. A picture of Mard Geer and Zeref, laughing and drinking their fucking wine in sharp black suits.

"Not the same company," Erik said. "But he was definitely chummy with that Zeref guy who went to jail for money laundering."

" _Want me to call up Rogue and have him do some digging?"_ Juvia asked immediately. It was definitely convenient to have a nosy shit like Rogue as a close friend of hers. Well, as the younger brother of her best friend since preschool, Gajeel. He was a master of getting in everyone's business, without ever leaving his apartment in Crocus.

"As long as he does it legally," Erik said, starting another search to see if he could find a business connection between Tartaros and Balam.

" _And if he does it illegally-"_ Macbeth began, only for Erik to cut him off.

"Nope, not listening. Personal feelings aside, I need to be able to not fucking perjure myself if I'm in court for you assbags."

" _You're the one who-"_ Juvia started.

"Hanging up now," he said. "Get the gang all rounded up, and send me an email with what your gameplan is."

" _Will-"_

Erik rolled his eyes, glad they couldn't see the fond smile turning up his thin lips. "I'll be there to protest with you," he said. "Don't fucking worry about that." He was the one who, in his early twenties, started their ridiculous little group of activists at Magnolia Community College. Like hell would he miss an opportunity to yell at fucking morons. With that, he ended the call and took another large bite of his dinner, only to grimace.

He really needed to find some better recipes. This tasted like the most bland bullshit he'd ever had the misfortune of shoveling in his mouth, and he'd tried that cabbage water cleanse that had been all the rage last year.

Fucking. Embarrassing.


	3. Constellation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly longer chapter this time around. There was a lot of ground to cover in this chapter, and I wanted to get a little more depth on Cobra's character, since we got a good bit for Lucy's character last chapter.
> 
> _Also, disclaimer here for those who may need it: The Fiore military is loosely based on the U.S. military. Loosely. There are things that will not perfectly align with real-world military units. And some things that do mesh with real-world military are done for a reason. Between being an Army wife myself, and added research on my own, I chose to use some facts and fudge others. Keep in mind, this is fiction with splashes of real-world context._

Lucy stared in shock at her phone, seeing several of her close friends posting on FaeSpace about how they disagreed with Tartaros opening a factory in Magnolia. She just couldn't understand what they were getting all worked up over.

So what if it was recently released that it would be a chemical research facility? They would be producing mass amounts of medication, and it would help the hospitals lower their costs from having to deal with pharmaceutical giants monopolizing the prices on insulin. Or Prozac. Whatever the drug was, didn't matter.

She knew now how much the city had been affected by losing the plants and factories while she'd been away. This was going to be a good thing! It would help to get people working, off of unemployment and out of working piddly jobs they always complained about anyway.

Laxus' best friend, Freed, was a total science whiz. He could work wonders doing medical research there!

She knew that Elfman didn't want to always work as a cook at a fast food place. Mira had told her as much. And he would be great doing construction! And yet, he was one of the people talking about how Tartaros needed to find some other place to set up shop.

Arguing online didn't do anyone any good. She'd even tried hanging out and bringing up the topic, but it just turned into heated arguments that left everyone upset with one another. At least Natsu was on her side. That was a bonus. Laxus generally stayed out of things like this, and he did have a bit of a vested interest in the factory being built since his interview with the CEO had gone swimmingly, and he'd gotten the contract to run all the electrical components throughout the building. It was a huge job, from what he'd told her, and it would give him some serious capital to play with where his business was concerned.

But this… She couldn't understand why her friends weren't more excited.

> _**Levy:** _ _You don't understand, Lucy. This is about more than just jobs. Sure, I'd love to have a job that values my accounting capabilities, and possibly make more money than I'm making now. But it's not just about money. There's a bigger picture here that I think you're just not seeing. Maybe being out of the country changed things for you, but we're still the same here. We care about the community. And about what that factory is going to_ _**do**_ _to our community._

She wanted so badly to type out a long response about how her being "out of the country" was important, but she didn't say anything. Levy made it seem like she'd been on vacation.

Lucy didn't have to say a thing. Mira jumped in real fast to put Levy's argument to rest.

> _**Mira Jane:** _ _Levy, I find it funny that you tried to low-key call Lucy out for not caring about the community because she was gone. I was too, but you're not tagging me in this post? Or Jellal or Erza or Gildarts. You didn't see the things we did, Levy. I don't fault you for it or claim that you don't care about our country because you stayed in Fiore instead of deploying to Alvarez. But to claim that Lucy doesn't care as much about Magnolia as you do is shortsighted. And it's rude as hell. By your logic, she doesn't understand the bigger picture because she was out fighting to keep the Spriggans from breaching our borders. Maybe it's you who doesn't see the bigger picture. We saw what happens when towns lose the bulk of their contribution to the economy. They struggled. They_ _ **starved**_ _. It's been happening here in Magnolia as well, and we can't just sit back and not welcome someone who's willing to help… but you're so stuck in your own little bubble that you miss what's important. This is an opportunity for our city to bounce back._

There was a little more that Lucy wanted to say, and she wasn't exactly happy about Mira using their military service as a key point. What she and her unit saw in Alvarez was worlds apart from Fiore. It wasn't, by any means, a wasteland. In fact, it was a technological utopia compared to what she'd seen of Fiore during her military career. But this was still her home, and she was loyal to the crown. And when reports started flooding the news about an impending attack on Fiore, Lucy and Mira and Erza had been the first ones to sign up just as soon as they were old enough to join.

But her military career wasn't part of this conversation. This was about whether the potential negative environmental impact of Tartaros' new factory outweighed the positive economic impact.

She didn't want to stay silent on her own post, but she wasn't sure what to say without starting an argument.

> _**Levy:**_ _Mira, you know I appreciate what you've done for the country. I always thank you and all our other soldiers for their service whenever you come to the StoryStore. But you're being an idiot._

Lucy needed to stop this before things got out of hand.

> _**Mira:** _ _Call me stupid again and I will drag your ass so fucking fast._

Shit. She had to do something.

Levy was intelligent. She knew how to use words to her advantage in a debate, as Lucy had seen several times in high school. And Mira… She was terrifying when she got heated.

> _**Lucy:** _ _GUYS! Both of you need to chill out. Levy, you're better than name-calling when someone disagrees with you. Mira, if you threaten Levy, I'll come over to the bar and drag_ _**your** _ _ass._

She probably couldn't take Mira in a fight. Sure, they'd both had the same basic training, but their jobs had been very different in the military. Mira had focused more on combat roles, and had remained on the enlisted side, while Lucy used the military to her advantage to get a college education and became an officer after serving for seven years. She'd wanted to make sure she could back her shit up before trying to lead other soldiers. When the chips were down, Mira was the one Lucy would look to in a fight.

> _**Levy:** _ _Is that what the military taught you? If someone says something you don't like, you kill them? Real mature._
> 
> _**Mira:**_ _You have no clue, Levy. Go back to your fantasy world and pretend you can "make a difference." The grown-ups are talking now._
> 
> _**Erza:** _ _You're both being childish. Levy and Mira, I'm disappointed in you. Lucy, I agree with your OP. This factory seems like it will really help the community. Not just with jobs, but with medical expenses. You said it yourself. If they manufacture medication at a lower cost for hospitals, then that can directly affect the out-of-pocket for patients. It feeds right back into the economy!_
> 
> _**Levy:**_ _THAT'S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS! ARE YOU ALL COMPLETELY RETARDED?!_
> 
> _**Gajeel:**_ _Whoa! Levy, not cool. It's X793. You can't say that shit!_
> 
> _**Mira:**_ _You're a flat-chested wannabe academic with nothing going for you, Levy. You talk a big game behind a keyboard, but if you really care so much about this, then go ahead and show up at the press conference. Get all your little friends if you want. I'll be there, shutting you all down._
> 
> _**Levy:** _ _(Gajeel, you're right. That was inconsiderate of me.) Lucy, if you're so blinded by Mira's idiocy, then I don't know what to say to you anymore._

Lucy stared at the screen as the conversation continued. Levy disappeared from the comments. She didn't say anything more.

Five minutes later, a notification popped up.

_**Levy McGarden has removed you from her FaeSpace.** _

Lucy threw her phone at the wall, then cursed loud enough for her neighbors to hear when it shattered.

* * *

Erik had plenty of other cases to deal with in the week leading up to the organized protest. FaeSpace had exploded with activity over it, and the community as a whole seemed to be on board. He knew there were still people who didn't agree with them.

Sorano had taken screenshots of a post by another woman and shared them with the group that had been created, _SEIS vs Tartaros_. It was where Macbeth kept all the information they'd gathered to better inform others who wanted to support their cause. They needed research, which was the specialty of quite a few people - who had apparently searched for the group that had gone viral to add their voices to the collective.

Some people scoured the internet and newspapers for information about Tartaros Enterprises. Others dug up as much dirt as they could on Mard Geer. And then, there were pot-stirrers like Sorano.

> _**Sorano:**_ _Boo-hoo! I'm so sad that I lost friends who can't accept that what I say is true!_

What followed was one screenshot after another of someone named Lucy, who had posted her own thoughts concerning Tartaros' new factory.

> _**Lucy:**_ _It's sad that I've lost friends over this. I've said my piece, and I don't need to keep explaining myself. I just want to make it clear, I haven't removed anyone. They're the ones who removed me because of either disagreements with others on my posts, or disagreements with me. I don't mind disagreeing. I don't mind someone explaining their views to me. But being immature online is just ridiculous. My friends are too old to act like children. We all know better. So we all should_ _**be** __better._

She meant well, he was sure. The original post really wasn't all that bad. It just seemed like someone who disagreed with his own group's cause, and had lost friends over it. And he knew for a fact that people tended to get a little too bold when they put on their keyboard warrior outfits. But the screenshots of comments on her post had him just a little confused.

> _**Lucy:** _ _This isn't me complaining and trying to get pity. I'm just making a post. And I'm hoping the people who are still on my friends list can see that one issue doesn't have to ruin years of friendship._
> 
> _**Lucy:**_ _To be clear, I'm not saying I hate the rainforest or that climate change isn't real. I just think that people are focusing too much on the "potential environmental impact" without considering just how much this factory can help our community._
> 
> _**Lucy:** _ _Yes, this is still my community. I've lived in Magnolia my whole life. I was born at Lower Magnolia General Hospital. Went to LMHS. How are you gonna say this isn't my community?_

Erik stared at the screen, frowning in confusion. Clearly she was talking to someone, but their comments were gone. He hadn't a clue who it was, but… maybe that meant the person who was arguing with this Lucy person had blocked the one who'd taken the screenshots.

At least things shifted just a bit when someone else popped into the comments. He was at least able to see what was being said on both sides.

> _**Silver:**_ _I think this Milliana girl is trying to say you're not part of the community because you were gone for a long time. I don't blame you. In fact, I want to thank you for risking your life to protect our country. And I stand behind you, Lucy. Lower Magnolia has needed help for years. Probably since before you were born. This factory can help._
> 
> _**Lucy:**_ _Thank you, Silver. I know there are people who agree with me, but I don't want to only surround myself with people who agree. I just don't understand why Milliana is acting like that._
> 
> _**Kagura:**_ _Because you're being fucking stupid. You don't know what this city needs. You're a mindless soldier who killed anyone your superiors told you to. You're disgusting._
> 
> _**Lucy:**_ _This post isn't about my military career. It's about Tartaros opening a factory. I support this. We need jobs here. We need a way for people to support themselves, instead of accepting the meager handouts the government doles out. People are_ _**dying** _ _due to malnutrition. It's all we can do to keep the kids from getting involved in that bullshit down by the docks. I volunteer my time at that run-down youth center to give kids self-defense training. What do_ _**you** _ _do to help, Kagura?_
> 
> _**Kagura:** _ _I'm a teacher for underprivileged kids in Lower Magnolia. Instead of tricking the kids into thinking violence is the answer, I teach them how to deal with problems using intelligence. Something you lack. I hope your parents are ashamed of the person you've turned out to be._

Erik knew Kagura. And he knew that she worked in the lower part of the city where crime and poverty were more rampant. He hadn't realized that she'd finally gotten her teaching license though. Still, she'd gone to the same high school as he had. Upper Magnolia High. And from what he could tell, this Lucy person was from Lower Magnolia. Which meant…

> _**Lucy:** _ _Well, my parents are dead. My mom died from cancer that could have been diagnosed if we'd had money to take her to a doctor; the first time she went to the hospital was after passing out at work. She went in an ambulance we couldn't afford to pay for, and left in an urn. My dad was killed before I was born in a mugging gone wrong half a mile away from LMHS. The fact that you use my community's "underprivileged kids" as an excuse online to make yourself seem more woke is fucking pathetic. People who say things like that are part of the problem. Go ahead and try using your "intelligence" to fight me on here. It won't do any good. I'm sure you're great in your subject area while teaching, but I feel sorry for the kids who have someone like you as their teacher. You don't get it. Have you ever gone to bed hungry? Have you heard gunshots through the cracked walls of your apartment at night? Have you ever had to rely on the government for a check that barely covers your already reduced rent? If you haven't lived in Lower Magnolia, you can't speak to the changes that need to be made. Take your privilege and leave._

That was the last post from the screenshots, and Erik honestly wasn't sure how to feel about what he'd just read. Like Kagura, he hadn't been forced to live in poverty. His adoptive parents had made a good life for him. They'd given him every opportunity, and he'd used it to his advantage at every turn as he got older. Sure, he'd faced his own challenges with his skin being darker, and he'd had to learn how to not react when someone called him one racial slur or another. His parents hadn't understood how hurtful things like that could be until their own son came home with a black eye after fighting someone for calling him a "dirty _bossa._ " His birth parents weren't even Boscan; they were from Caelum, the humid country to the south of Fiore.

It hadn't mattered to a teenager. That assbag Jackal had learned that darker skin meant a person from Bosco, and he'd been taught that the same word used to oppress Boscans for nearly three-hundred years was perfectly acceptable to use in civilized conversation.

Erik's phone chimed with a notification, alerting him to activity on the post he was already looking at. People in the group were commenting on it like crazy.

> _**Kinana:** _ _Oh my god. Time for the pity party._
> 
> _**Bickslow:**_ _I can see where she's coming from. We do need more jobs in Lower. Most people have to travel to Upper for work, and it's a bitch._
> 
> _**Lyon:**_ _I never considered that, Bickslow. Still, should we really sacrifice Earthland for jobs?_
> 
> _**Gildarts:** _ _Whoa! I didn't realize Lucy was back from deployment! Why is this girl acting like that toward her? She's a literal war hero!_

Erik paused at that. It took a moment for him to assimilate the smiling face in Lucy's profile picture with a "war hero." And he very nearly smacked himself in the head for it. He'd been raised better than that; to not judge a person's merit based on their looks or gender.

His mother would whoop his ass if she found out.

> _**Sorano:** _ _I don't know who she is. This was sent to me to share. I checked her profile, and it's all "friends only." Guess she's too scared to let people see how much of a privileged bitch she is._
> 
> _**Ikaruga:**_ _No kidding! Sorry, your made up sob story isn't going to work, Barbie!_
> 
> _**Vidaldus:**_ _So I'm supposed to listen to her because she was stupid enough to put on some stupid fucking uniform and conform to that fascist bullshit?_
> 
> _**Rufus:**_ _She doesn't seem privileged to me, Sorano._
> 
> _**Levy:** _ _That's not made up, Ikaruga. I grew up with her. Her mom did die from cancer, and she worked two jobs to make ends meet. Lucy's not the kind of person you're making her out to be. She doesn't do things for attention. And Vidaldus, she joined because it was the only way she'd be able to afford college. She's one of my best friends, guys. Don't talk shit about her if you don't know her story._
> 
> _**Sorano:**_ _Oh, here we go! Had someone do some digging. Take a look!  
>  Lucy Heartfilia, Retired Major of Fiore Army. Phone number: 767-22-4. Address: 350 W Cherry St. Apt D7_

Erik stopped reading. Someone fucking doxxed her. Whoever it was had sent the information to Sorano, so she could share it. What the intent behind it was, he couldn't be sure.

What he did know was that this wasn't the fucking point of this page.

> _**Erik:** _ _Take that shit down, or you're getting blocked from this fucking page. That's fucking unnecessary. People are entitled to their opinions. You don't know her or the reasons she feels the way she does about this. How about, instead of doing stupid fucking bullshit like this, you direct that angry energy to the motherfucker responsible for this factory even being brought to Magnolia. Instead of instantly attacking someone who disagrees with your opinion, listen to what they have to fucking say. Fuck, Sorano, I know you like being queen bitch, but this is next level. And Kagura's just as much of a bitch for instigating shit like that. If anyone takes her information and does some fucked up shit with it, you'd better believe I'll represent her in court for you being a petty fucking cunt. This page is about what we're going to do to protest at the press conference in four fucking days. It's not about doxxing or talking shit about people who disagree with you. Use your own fucking page for talking shit about someone. This is the only fucking warning you'll get. Don't get yourself banned._

He left it at that. He didn't know this Lucy person. He wasn't sure what her reasoning was for wanting to allow that factory to be built. Not entirely, at least. He could probably figure it out based on the shit she'd posted, but that wasn't the point. The point was, he couldn't stand by and let some borderline illegal shit like that continue.

He minimized FaeSpace and called Macbeth, who answered on the second ring. "I don't know if you saw the bullshit on the group's page, but Sorano's fucking doxxing people. She's your fucking step-sister, man. Handle that bitch before I take her ass to court."

" _Whoa, what?"_

Great. He'd been sleeping. Erik glanced at the clock and rolled his eyes. It was nearly six at night already. No wonder Macbeth wasn't awake yet. His shift at the gas station didn't start until midnight.

"Sorano. Your evil fucking step-sister," Erik said more slowly. "She posted screenshots of some chick who lives in Lower, arguing on her own FaeSpace page. Then your step-sister…" He paused to make sure Macbeth was still following along. "Fucking doxxed this Lucy person. You're a page admin so take that shit down ASAP."

" _Goddamnit,"_ Macbeth groaned. He yelled something that sounded distinctly like Sorano's name, but Erik couldn't hear most of it. The two _did_ live together, so it stood to reason that Macbeth was yelling at her. _"I'm deleting her comment. And I'll read the rest of this shit. Who is this girl, anyway?"_

"Apparently she was a Major in the military," Erik said. "Lives in Lower Magnolia. But she disagrees with us trying to shut down the construction, so I guess Sorano-"

" _Yeah, I'm getting an earful about that now… I've turned off comments on this post. I won't delete the whole post yet, but if it pops up again, I'll deal with it."_

"Cool."

" _And I'm giving you admin privileges on the page. Should've already had them, but whatever."_ He paused for a little too long, and Erik almost thought he'd fallen asleep again. _"Erik… Have you seen anything after your comment?"_

"No…?" That didn't sound good.

" _... You need to."_

He put the phone on speaker and switched back to his FaeSpace app, then navigated to the post in question. Over 200 comments after his. What the actual fuck? He didn't even pay attention to the names of people commenting. He didn't know a lot of them, and that was usually fine with him.

> _Major Ass and Titties! I'd fuck her in the back of my Porsche!_
> 
> _You see these pictures? Look at her in this bathing suit, man! Bullshit was she military. Probably lied about it somewhere to get a free meal._

Erik's jaw dropped as he scrolled down a bit to see a picture of a busty blonde woman with a huge rack, dangerously pinched waist, and delicious hips sitting on a beach in nothing but a too-small purple bikini. He clicked on the image to enlarge it, and found it was a screenshot from someone's phone.

> _We should find out what her job is, and make sure she loses it. If she can't respect nature, then we'll show her!_

What in the actual fuck would that accomplish? She was someone who talked about how more jobs in Lower Magnolia would help the community, and they wanted her to lose her own job?

> _She volunteers at the youth center. Someone could totally show up there and just take her down._
> 
> _She hangs out down at the Fairy Tail Pub._
> 
> _She's legit military. Look at this! Full battle rattle, and that's definitely over in Alvarez. Rank's only Captain, though. Maybe an older picture if she retired as Major._
> 
> _She's too young to even be a Captain! I call bullshit._
> 
> _She's too young to be retired! Definitely bullshit._

The herd mentality was strong. And this shit couldn't continue.

"Macbeth, take the whole fucking page down. Now."

" _What?"_

"Take it down!" he shouted. "I don't care if people are just talking shit to sound badass. Take it down, and remove the ability to leave comments. Put a fucking note on there that if someone has information, they need to send it to an admin, and we'll fucking post it. This shit's going too far!"

" _I doubt they'll do anything."_

"Not the fucking point," Erik said. "Let's say someone does try some shit. You wanna get cuffed for owning the page that allows this shit to happen?"

" _No."_

"Exactly. I'm gonna try to call the number Sorano posted, see if I can't get in touch with her and let her know we saw this happening, and put a stop to it."

" _Are you sure that's a good idea?"_

"I don't know," Erik said. It just didn't sit right with him that her information had been shared like that over disagreeing with their group's ideals. That wasn't what SEIS was about at all. Still, he ended the call with Macbeth, then scrolled back up to where Sorano had revealed Lucy's information. Her phone number was still there on the screen, but he knew it just hadn't refreshed yet. He took a quick screenshot, then closed the FaeSpace app completely and dialed her number.

" _Hey, girl, hey!"_ came an unfamiliar, chipper woman's voice. _"I probably lost my phone in the couch again, so leave me a message. Byeee!"_

As soon as it beeped, he hung up. He wasn't trying to leave a message. And it seemed her phone was turned off, since it went right to voicemail. Maybe she'd already been getting calls and did it herself.

But Erik didn't want to chance anything. Instead, he pulled up a map and typed in _Fairy Tail Pub_. It showed the location in the southern part of Lower Magnolia. The drive would be about thirty minutes, but he needed to do this.

He didn't know her, but Sorano had opened a can of fucking worms with this shit. And there was no telling who would take that shit to heart and try to hurt some innocent person over fucking nothing. He needed to see if he could find Lucy. Preferably without randomly showing up at her apartment, that was also in the screenshot he'd taken.

* * *

Lucy smiled at the cashier and thanked him for keeping the art supply store open a few more minutes for her to get a couple last minute supplies. She took her bag and picked up her poster board, then made her way to the door. Once outside, with the clerk locking up right behind her, she took a deep breath of the city air and looked up at the sky. Night had already fallen, and she could barely make out a few stars with the city lights reflecting in the clouds. Still, she thought that was two of the stars that made up Orion's Belt.

Maybe.

She turned and started walking in the direction of her apartment. Originally, she'd planned on heading down to the pub for a drink or two, but she'd been trying to avoid conflict. And it seemed that the patrons were pretty evenly split over supporting or opposing Tartaros' new facility. She didn't want to deal with the drama. So, instead, she was going to head right home and start brainstorming ideas for posters she could make to show her support for Tartaros Enterprises bringing life back into Lower Magnolia.

She'd make one for Mira, too. Lucy's military discount was definitely a plus, considering how much she'd gotten, but it was just one thing her friends wouldn't need to worry about. They could make a statement without having to fork out the cash to do it.

And besides, Mira had been keeping her in the loop on things going on, since she still hadn't replaced her phone. She was still finding it hilarious that Erza and Jellal were on opposing sides of this. Lucy had no idea how they could live together and be civil with that kind of tension, but they made it work. Probably since they were both prior service. Maybe they just didn't talk to each other about it.

Lucy was an idiot for throwing her phone at the wall. She would've loved to just call Erza up and get the details herself, instead of listening to the story through Mira's rose-colored lens.

As she walked down the street, Lucy listened to the far-off sirens and the low hum of distant conversations. A couple walked hand in hand on the other side of the street. The occasional car drove past, just a little over the speed limit. She was definitely glad that there weren't that many cars in this neighborhood. Even though they were in the city, the people of Lower Magnolia tended to walk or ride bikes where they needed to go. It helped to save money if they didn't need to pay for a car payment and insurance.

She always found the constant hum of sound in the city soothing. Between the brick and mortar buildings, the wind whistled its hollow song. Guard dogs barked from behind chain link fences, protecting the mechanic shop and the junk yard. People shouted in the distance - whether it was out of anger, she couldn't tell. That wasn't the point.

This was the life she'd dreamt of every night she'd been in Alvarez. Walking down Cherry Street toward her apartment, smiling in greeting at the familiar faces of her neighbors who sat on the stoops of their own buildings. Seeing kids playing on the sidewalk, and getting yelled at by their parents to get inside and washed up for bed.

There was life in the city. People milled about, they laughed and cried in the streets. Lower Magnolia had its problems, but this was home.

"Lucy?"

She turned toward the unfamiliar man's voice, her hand instantly going to her purse to keep it securely on her shoulder. Still, she smiled as though this was completely normal.

* * *

Cobra parked at a meter across the street from the Fairy Tail Pub. He'd definitely been a bit disheartened at seeing so many stores along the route had boarded up windows, and _Store Closing Blowout_ sale signs. One whole street had been completely shut down. Not even the street lights had worked all that well, with only one barely flickering to life for a moment before going dark again for a whole block

He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually come down to Lower Magnolia. It was a far cry different from the sleek high rises of Upper Magnolia. Even the air smelled different. It was almost sour here. A sort of old beer poured in a dirty diaper festering in a sealed bag in the summer smell that turned his stomach.

At least the architecture was nice. These buildings were the first ones built in Magnolia, decades ago. Well before his parents had even been born. He'd always wanted to live in a building like this one that held the pub. Dulled red brick, maybe a loft of some sort. There was a certain aesthetic appeal to it.

He double-checked the street before crossing, finding it odd that there were hardly any cars around. It was nearly impossible to move in the ever-constant traffic of Upper Magnolia.

Being here felt almost like he'd gone to another country entirely.

Still, he made his way toward the heavy black metal with the bright neon sign above it that read _Fairy Tail Pub_. He wasn't entirely sure what the weird tribal bird symbol was supposed to resemble, or if it was supposed to be the bar's logo.

He walked inside and ignored the thick cloud of smoke that slithered out to greet him. The dim lighting fit the general vibe of the place with its strange eclectic decor on the exposed brick walls.

"Okay, Boomer!" a woman bellowed, slamming down an empty mug on a worn wooden table. Erik's attention shot over to find a woman with long wavy brown hair, wearing a bikini top as a shirt, grinning at an older man with dark ginger hair down to his shoulders, who sat across from her.

"Cana," he laughed. He slicked his hair back from his face with a metal prosthetic hand. "How did you know? That's my porn name!"

The woman laughed loudly and lifted her mug to drink again. "You're gross, Dad."

What in the actual fuck.

Erik ignored them and looked around for someone who even vaguely resembled the blonde woman he'd come to search for. He didn't find her anywhere. Maybe she was in the bathroom, though. This was a bar, after all, and drinking was a sure way to need to take a piss. He turned and wove through the mostly empty tables, then took a seat at the bar.

A brightly smiling woman with long silver hair made her way over to him. "What can I get you, stranger?"

"Whatever's on tap is fine," he said. He didn't want to stand out too much, and he really wasn't in the mood to drink. He'd still need to be able to drive back home, after all.

She walked two steps to his left and filled a tall, frosted glass mug, then handed it to him. "Haven't seen you around before," she said. He knew what she was doing. This neighborhood was probably pretty tight. Everyone knew everyone else on the block. He wasn't especially close with his neighbors, or anyone in his building. So that meant she was trying to figure out why he was there.

When her blue eyes locked onto him, Erik could feel her down into his soul. Her gaze was bright and friendly, but piercing. She scrutinized every detail about him, probably as soon as he'd walked in the door.

"I drove down from Upper Magnolia," he said, taking a sip of his beer. It was a nice domestic brew. And cold. She definitely knew how to run a bar. "I'm actually looking for someone."

"Oh?" She started wiping down the counter with a rag, seemingly ignoring him. He knew better.

Erik paused to pull his card out of his wallet, setting it on the bar in front of her. "My name is Erik Vivas. I'm an attorney."

"And who might be needing such an official talking to?" she asked, glancing briefly at his card. He had a feeling she memorized the whole thing with just a look.

"Not official," he said. "I was hoping to find a woman named Lucy here."

He hadn't been expecting her to stop moving, and pin him with such an intense stare that he felt his asshole tighten painfully. Suddenly, her smile wasn't so friendly. It hadn't changed in appearance, but the aura coming off of her was anything but welcoming.

"I wanted to make sure she was okay," he began. This needed to be quick and to the point. And hopefully, he could figure out what the hell he'd do with this White Knight stunt he'd decided to pull. "I'm one of the people who runs SEIS. It's Save-"

"Save Every Inhabitable Space," she said, her tone flat. Her smile never faltered. "Yes, I'm aware of that organization. Lucy isn't really one for saving the whales, and all that."

"Well, someone doxxed Lucy on our group's page, and I had it taken down," he said. "I don't know how many people saw it, and I didn't read the whole thing. But it had her phone number, and her address."

"Oh?"

He cleared his throat and pulled out his phone, showing Mira the screenshot he'd taken. "I tried to call her, but it went to voicemail. Someone said in the comments on the post that she hangs out here, so I figured…"

"You thought you'd come down here and make sure she was alright?" she asked. As soon as he nodded, the tension in the air melted away. The bartender leaned on the counter and tilted her head slightly while she scrutinized him. "Why?"

"People were talking about trying to mess with her," he said. "Someone mentioned that she was in the military, so I'm sure she can handle herself. But I wanted…" He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back and away from his eyes. "I don't know. I had the whole page taken down, and now only admins can post on it. That's not the shit our group is about. And doing that, because she disagrees over this Tartaros shit… It's fucked up."

"I'd say so," the bartender said softly. She reached over and pressed the delete button on the picture, then closed all his apps. He didn't try to stop her. "I will say that Lucy sleeps with a gun under her pillow, so she should be fine. She's a big girl. No need for strangers to come to her rescue."

"Still," he said. It just didn't sit right with him. He needed to make sure she knew that something might happen. "Knowing that she's aware, especially since she can obviously protect herself… I feel responsible since this happened on my group's page."

The bartender smiled again. "Did anyone mention what she did in the military?"

"Not that I saw," he said. "It just said something about her being a Major."

She laughed. It was high and soft, a delicate sound that drifted through the air and floated on top of the invisible notes wafting from the jukebox he hadn't noticed before. "We served together," she said. That deadly aura around her returned for the briefest of moments when their eyes locked. "Special Forces. Lucy was my commanding officer."

* * *

Lucy rolled her eyes and walked away from the man lying on the ground, picking up her bag of art supplies in the process.

Honestly, whatever he'd hoped to accomplish by brandishing a crowbar was pointless. It was clear he hadn't a clue what he was doing. Still, she'd waited until it was obvious that he wasn't interested in talking. She'd waited until he lifted the crowbar to hit her. And it only took her a few seconds to disarm him, kick his knee back to make him fall on the ground, and then send another kick right at his face to knock him on his ass.

He'd said something about seeing her post on FaeSpace, something threatening. She hadn't really paid much attention.

In Lower Magnolia, none of that mattered.


	4. Port

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is partly a bridge chapter, which feels silly in a story this short, but it was necessary to keep it more cohesive, and make the time skips that happen a little less jarring. Enjoy a bit of humor for this chapter!

Erik was glad he'd cleared his schedule for Friday. He'd had a few clients to meet with in the morning, but had taken the rest of the day after lunch off to head home and get ready for the protest. It was no longer a press conference. Not to him.

In the days since trying to find Lucy - he'd given up after talking to the bartender down at the Fairy Tail Pub, since she'd assured him that she would send someone Lucy knew over to her apartment to relay the information that she'd been doxxed - he'd had to dig through his closet several times to find his protest gear.

And now that he was home, he was sure it had been a wise choice to prep beforehand.

This wasn't his first time protesting. He'd been doing it for nearly twenty years with one cause or another. So he knew that he needed to wear a mask to cover as much of his face as possible; his identity wasn't important, just the fact that he was another voice, another _person_ to chant with the crowd. He made sure to put a black bandanna in his back pocket.

He didn't have any tattoos that would be visible with a short-sleeve shirt, and with the high temperature and humidity that day, he didn't want to risk heat exhaustion; instead, he grabbed a thin three-quarter sleeve black knit shirt that he could be comfortable in, and a pair of black jeans that would help make him less identifiable if shit went sideways. He wasn't planning on starting a damn thing, but he also wasn't going to make himself an easy target.

His hair had grown down to his shoulders again - he really needed to stay on top of that, but now wasn't the time to worry about a haircut - so he pulled it back into a ponytail as best as he could. He took a marker from the top of his dresser, opened his contacts on his phone, and searched for the necessary numbers.

Macbeth was going to be at the protest, so it would be stupid to write down his number in case of an emergency. Erik's parents, however, were on vacation in Minstrel, and they knew he was going to a protest, that he might call them if there was an emergency; he lifted his shirt and wrote his dad's number on his stomach. He also wrote down the phone number to his office. If he needed a lawyer, he was definitely going to be calling his own office so one of his partners could handle it.

He capped the marker and grabbed his black backpack from his bed, then walked out to the living room. He wasn't a fan of plastic water bottles in the slightest, but this situation called for using them. His metal reusable bottles would weigh him down too much.

Erik added four bottles of water to his bag, resolving to reuse them until he found a good DIY upcycling project online that he could use them for. Maybe he could try gardening again.

He darted back to the bathroom, checking the clock on the wall. Already 1 o'clock. Fuck, he was lagging behind. He was supposed to meet Macbeth and the other organizers down at the Port of Hargeon Bay in an hour. He rummaged under his bathroom sink and found his mini first aid kit, then returned to the living room. It didn't have much, just some bandaids and gauze, and some antiseptic ointment. But it was better than nothing.

Erik allowed himself two minutes to check and make sure he had what he needed. Phone fully charged, water and some dried fruit for snacks in case the protest went on for more than a few hours, medical supplies. When he was sure he had everything, he opened the rideshare app on his phone and filled out the information. He never drove to protests. He didn't want the license plate on his car being traced back to him.

Forty minutes later, Erik was down at the pier, watching police officers setting up bright orange pylons that glared in the summer sun. A small stage was already set up where he could only assume Mard Geer Tartaros would be making his grand speech, and the police created a ten-foot wide path leading from the stage to the road.

The city was really rolling out the red carpet for this fucker.

He waited until Macbeth and Juvia showed up, then turned off the data on his phone, made sure it was set to a pin unlock only instead of facial or fingerprint recognition, and put it on airplane mode.

"You're so paranoid," Macbeth chuckled. It was strange to see him without makeup, but they'd learned the hard way that tear gas and pepper spray clung to makeup more than bare skin. Macbeth had looked like a train wreck with his mascara and eyeliner running down his face that day they'd been marching for LGBTQ rights.

"No, I'm just making sure no one can get to my information without my explicit consent," Erik said. His indigo eyes narrowed as he watched Juvia whisper something to Macbeth, discreetly kiss his cheek, then walk off as more protesters showed up. She was a fucking genius when it came to organizing, always making sure there were designated shady spots for people to get out of the sun, extra water for those who needed it. His gaze followed her while she waved to a group wearing stark white shirts with screen-printed red crosses on the chests, so police would know that they were nothing more than medics in case of an emergency. He was definitely curious about that little kiss she'd given Macbeth, but now wasn't the time. "Did you deal with Sorano?"

"Yeah," Macbeth groaned. "She said she's still coming today, but she's sorry for getting all worked up with the 'wrong-think' shit."

"It's one thing to disagree, man," Erik said, pulling his bandanna out of his pocket. He tied it around his face, making sure it was secure across the bridge of his nose. "It's something else to target one person who disagrees with us, without taking time to fucking understand their position."

"Yeah, I showed her some articles about the effects of doxxing," Macbeth said. "I think she's more pissed at herself now."

"Cobra!"

Erik turned at the familiar voice, and found Gajeel lumbering toward him with a megaphone strapped to his belt, and his black cargo pants visibly full with what Erik already knew were medical supplies. Needles and thread for stitching, a few small bottles of distilled water for disinfecting. Sure, Juvia always made sure there was a medical area sectioned off from the main protest area, but Gajeel liked being prepared anyway. Fuck only knew what else he carried. It was weird as hell to see his piercings removed, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Gajeel knew better than to chance getting a piercing ripped out of his face because a protest ended up escalating into violence. He'd had to re-pierce protesters in the past when that exact thing had happened.

"If it isn't good ol' Black Steel," Erik laughed. Their hands clasped together in a strong handshake, and Gajeel pulled him in for a half-hug. "I didn't know if you'd be coming."

"Yep," Gajeel sighed. It was no secret that Gajeel really didn't like people knowing that he supported certain things. He preferred to stay out of it, visually. He podcasted about shit, or posted videos online. He wasn't really one for being in the thick of it. Of course, one wouldn't think that based on the fact that he'd worn a fucking tank top that displayed all of the tattoos running down his arms. "I was gonna do a podcast while Levy came out to protest, but she begged me to come today."

"Adorable," Macbeth chuckled. He and Gajeel weren't nearly as close, so they only gave each other a friendly fistbump in greeting.

"Where is the little short-stack?" Erik asked.

Gajeel rolled his crimson eyes. "Getting her goddamn posters outta the car. She went fuckin' mental with this shit."

Erik glanced around his broad shoulders and snickered when he saw the short blue-haired woman carrying far too many protest signs. "And you're not helping her?"

"I asked if it would make me a misogynist to help her carry shit," Gajeel said, crossing his arms as he turned to watch her struggle. "She said she'd ask if she needed help."

"Levy, need some help?" Macbeth shouted.

"Please?" Levy laughed when just the one word had her dropping half of the signs on the ground. She glanced at Gajeel as Macbeth jogged over to help her. "You were right. I should've asked."

He just shrugged. "Up to you, gorgeous," he said. "Don't forget to put on yer sunscreen. Y'know how ya burn."

Erik chuckled when her cheeks flushed a gentle pink. "You poor, poor melanin-deprived folks," he teased.

"I would _gladly_ take some off your hands," she sighed, coming to stand in front of them. She set down the signs and reached into one of Gajeel's many pockets to pull out a 2-ounce bottle of sunscreen, then applied it to her face and bare arms. Once finished, she set her attention on Erik, and frowned. "I saw what happened on the page."

"Hm?"

"Sorano leaking Lucy's information like that."

Erik rolled his eyes and glared at Macbeth, who simply shrugged. Of course, it wasn't Macbeth's fault that his step-sister had pulled that shit, but he was the closest they had until she arrived. "She's sorry," Macbeth sighed, turning to Levy. "I talked to her about how fucked up it was-"

"More'n fucked up," Gajeel said. He surveyed their surroundings briefly, counting the protestors congregating on either side of the pylons, then looked back to their group. He noticed Erza and Jellal walking up the path together, sharing a brief, chaste kiss, then separating with Erza taking position across the wide path from them, and Jellal joining their side. "Bunny's a literal fuckin' war hero. She got a fuckin' medal for some fucked up shit."

Levy groaned and smacked his chest with her sunscreen bottle. "She ran into enemy fire to save the three guys who'd survived an explosion that caught them off-guard, then dragged all three of them to a nearby bunker and holed up in there until help came," she said. "They gave her, like, the second highest medal in the military."

"Fuck," Macbeth whispered.

"Oh, there she is," Gajeel said, looking toward the other side of the partition. Police had already placed themselves with one officer stationed at each pylon to keep the opposing sides from getting too close. "Bunny!"

Erik turned just in time to see the blonde woman he hadn't been able to find a few nights ago, smiling over at them. She didn't try to walk past the police officers, but called out to Gajeel and waved. Her mocha eyes gleamed with excitement. He was a little ashamed to admit how long his indigo gaze lingered on the white cropped tank top stretched tightly over her chest. The camouflage pants and black scuffed combat boots weren't lost on him - he could only assume it was a small nod to her military service.

"There you are, traitor!" Lucy shouted, still smiling. "Get over here!"

"I'm with Shrimp on this one," Gajeel called out.

"You tree-hugging fuck!" she laughed. "Drinks later?"

Erik wasn't too surprised that Gajeel looked to Levy on that one. He wasn't even sure why she was so fucking chummy in the first place. Unless she had the ability to just accept that this was something they disagreed on.

Levy, for her part, took a small step closer. "Who all's going?" she called out to Lucy.

"Whoever wants to," Lucy said. "Natsu and Erza, more than likely Gildarts. Figure we can go down to Fairy Tail, have a few rounds, shoot the shit. Mira said she'll be coming out in a bit, and she's leaving the keys with Gramps."

"He's alright to watch the bar?"

"Cana's on bartending duty," Lucy laughed.

Erik blinked in surprise when Levy laughed as well. "There won't be any booze left if she's in charge!" Levy bellowed.

"So, you two good or…?" Gajeel said. Erik hadn't a clue why Gajeel was even asking. It seemed as though the two women were close friends - and he did vaguely remember Levy mentioning in a comment on that thread about Lucy that they were friends. Had they had a falling out of some sort?

Levy glanced at him, then nodded while turning back toward Lucy. "We'll be there. Save us a seat at your table, Lu."

The way Lucy's smile grew even brighter had Erik just a touch breathless for a moment. Just for a moment though. He could admit, silently and only to himself, that she was beautiful.

"Bring whoever," she said in return. "Me and Mira already talked about it, and the Greens are covering tabs tonight."

"No shit!" Gajeel laughed. "Fuck yeah! This is what I'm talkin' about!"

"Greens?" Macbeth asked, looking to Levy.

"Green Berets," she said, smiling. "We've got a few of them living down in Lower, and our veterans kinda use Fairy Tail as a bar of their own sometimes."

"Well, Mira's a vet," Gajeel said. "It just makes sense."

"True," Levy said, nodding. She smiled over at Macbeth and Erik. "Even though you're from Upper, you're still welcome to join us."

"Sounds like fun," Macbeth chuckled.

Lucy turned and crouched to pick up some posters off the ground. Erik watched her every move. The thin line of sweat that trickled down her side. How she paused to pull her hair into two low pigtails. How she called out to someone he recognized with salmon hair and forest green eyes, Natsu.

"Luce-Goose!" Natsu bellowed, running toward her at full speed.

How she hugged him, and squealed when he picked her up and spun her in a circle.

If Erik didn't know for a fact that Natsu was asexual - they'd met at the last Pride parade, and he'd seen Natsu asking Reedus to paint an ace flag on his chest - then Erik might have very briefly considered that they were together.

Maybe they were. Who fucking knew anymore?

"You're staring," Macbeth crooned.

Erik shook his head and punched Macbeth's scrawny, pale fucking shoulder. "No way, shitwich."

"I bet you totally chubbed when you saw her," he snickered.

Erik frogged him in the ribs, sending Macbeth crumpling to the ground in a pathetic squawking heap. He astutely ignored the excitement in Natsu's voice while he yelled about how cool Lucy's posters looked, instead turning toward the medical tent. Maybe Juvia needed help setting up. 


	5. Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, welcome to Day 4. We're halfway through CoLu Week! We're really getting to the meat of the story now. This chapter was originally only 2,700 words. It felt way too short, given the plot that unfolds, so I had to do some finagling with the next couple prompts. I really wanted this to be a good, beefy chapter for you guys.
> 
> _(Tomorrow might be a bit late in getting posted. I'm gonna be down at the river today, and then working all day tomorrow. Hopefully I can squeeze in some writing time to get it out on time, but we'll see!)_
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

A hush fell over the entire crowd as a sleek black sports car pulled up to the divided groups. Lucy and the others craned their necks to see if it really was Mard Geer Tartaros. Reporters stood near the stage, and instructed their camera crews to hone in on the car, to try getting the best shot possible of the famed CEO of Tartaros Enterprises.

He stepped out of the car, adjusted his finely tailored blazer, closed the door and paused in his sure steps when he saw how many people were gathered. She watched him eye the crowd on both sides. He surveyed the police officers standing at attention, lingering here and there on the signs held high above their heads.

_Never forget Dawn City!_

_Welcome Tartaros!_

_We're not your labrats!_

_Looking for work. Finding hope today._

_You're not welcome here!_

_Mard Geer can stimulate **my** economy!_

_Don't poison our kids!_

His lips lifted at one corner in a self-assured smirk, barely noticeable as he started walking down the wide path toward the stage that had been prepared for him to hold this press conference. Lucy's side cheered loudly, thanking him as he passed by for returning to Lower Magnolia. Their very own celebrity, come back to help them dig themselves out of the slums their government had left them with.

The opposition booed and jeered, yelling that he was a fascist pig, heartless. Soulless. A fox in the hen house, duping the citizens of Magnolia into believing he was there to help. They bellowed that he would ruin the city, and poison the water.

Some even claimed he was in cahoots with Alvarez!

It was appalling, in Lucy's opinion. She knew Mard Geer. Not well, of course, but she remembered how nice he'd been to her when they were younger. As he walked closer, she noticed the way the summer sun glinted in his hair, pulled up into the same high ponytail he'd had in high school. It looked fuller, darker, but the hints of shimmering lavender held her attention.

Odd, she'd always thought his hair was black.

His steps slowed as he came closer to where she stood, and their eyes met. His narrow onyx gaze was still just as penetrating as it had been all those years ago. Granted, she'd never been attracted to him in high school. He was just a little too "pretty" for her tastes, his frame a touch too lean.

That didn't mean she couldn't admit that he was attractive.

"Lucy," he said, his smile growing slightly more apparent, more familiar. He stopped fully in front of her, and the jeers from the opposite side of the path intensified.

"Hey, Mard," she said, smiling back at him. "Welcome back home."

His chuckle was barely a wisp of air. He seemed much more guarded than she remembered. "I should say the same to you," he said. "I saw you in the news, receiving a medal."

Her cheeks flamed brightly and she waved him off with a nervous laugh. God, she hated it when people brought that up. "I was just doing what anyone else would," she said. "I'm glad to be back."

He reached up and gently grasped her hand with the barest touch of his long, thin fingers. "Well, all the same, thank you for your exceptional service to the crown of Fiore."

She watched, wide-eyed as he pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles, then continued on his way.

"Lu, I expect you to tell me what the hell _that_ was!" Levy shrieked from her side of the path. Lucy whipped her head over to find her friend staring at her, both bewildered and horrified - maybe intrigued, she couldn't be sure with how red Levy's skin had already gotten in the glaring sun.

Lucy shrugged. She hadn't a clue what that even was. What she did know was that the heavy indigo glare directed at her from the tanned man standing next to Levy was wholly unwarranted. She didn't know that guy. She'd noticed him with Levy and Gajeel when she'd gotten to the pier and started getting her side situated, but she hadn't been able to see his face. Just his piercing eyes. And the deep crimson of his hair pull back and away from his face.

"You got a problem, bitch bun?" she asked.

He blinked once. Twice. "What?"

"You," she said, scowling at him. "With the bitch hipster bun. Do you have a problem?"

"With you, not particularly," he said. "With that cunt over there?" He pointed to Mard's back. "Abso-fucking-lutely."

"Thank you all for coming today," Mard Geer said, standing at the podium. The mask-wearing man across from Lucy turned and scowled up at him, booing as loudly as possible. She cheered louder, just to prove a point. She was going to have to talk with Levy about that guy. Whoever he was, he seemed like an asshole.

"I appreciate the warm welcome I have received since returning to Magnolia," Mard Geer continued. "It has been quite the experience to see what Upper Magnolia is like, now that I am a successful businessman."

"Bullshit!" someone roared in the crowd. Lucy rolled her eyes. She knew that people tended to believe Mard Geer had it easy growing up. She knew that he hadn't.

"I lived only two blocks from this very pier," he said. "I grew up in Lower Magnolia, and saw every day how hard my neighbors worked for every scrap they received. I saw hopelessness and despair take hold of the strongest men in my apartment building when economic opportunities were ripped away from us."

That's right, he'd lived closer to the pier. She'd forgotten that. The area should have been a bit better off, since the fishermen worked so close to their homes, but somehow… they'd made less and less money as the years progressed. Eventually, the area became the most derelict. It was the place the adults always tried to keep kids away from, so they wouldn't get dragged into gangs.

"I saw the lengths our community went to, just to provide food for malnourished children," Mard Geer said. "Children like me. When food stamps and welfare didn't stretch far enough, when we didn't qualify for help because we somehow made just a few dollars too much in a month… This community came together and helped us scrape by. And now, I need to give back to this same community."

Lucy and her side cheered and whooped and hollered in admiration.

"So donate and save a fucking tree!" a man yelled from the other side.

"We don't want you here!" added a woman with bright pink hair down to her hips.

Mard Geer raised his hands, placating the masses as diplomatically as possible. "The children deserve to have parents who can keep their bellies full," he said. "More tax dollars allocated toward empowering these same children in schools, making sure their education is just as robust as those who can afford to live in Upper Magnolia."

"Hell yes!" Lucy bellowed.

He looked down at a woman with flowing black hair, holding a small child on her hip, a woman who stood on the opposite side of Lucy's group. "They deserve to have decent shoes," he said, "because we all know what it feels like to have wet socks all day at school."

The woman nodded meekly.

"My promise to this city," he said, staring at no one in particular, "is that every position filled at this factory will be offered to Lower Magnolia citizens first. If they are just shy of being qualified, my company will pay for training. You raised me from nothing, and now…" He gave them a wider smile than usual, still subdued, but visible even from where Lucy stood. "Now, I will raise you from the ashes that our government has left you in. Tartaros Enterprises will be the backbone of our city, keeping our heads held high."

The roaring cheers from the crowd were nearly deafening.

"When the air we breathe is under attack," the masked man bellowed, raising his fist in the air. "What do we do?"

"Stand up! Fight back!" the protesters on his side yelled in unison.

"When the water we drink is under attack, what do we do?"

"Stand up! Fight back!"

"When Mother Earthland is under attack, what do we do?"

"Stand up! Fight back!"

"What do we do?" He met her gaze squarely and roared in unison with the others, "Stand up! Fight back!"

She couldn't hear the questions Mard Geer was being asked, or the answers he gave. All Lucy could hope was that she'd be able to find a solid interview later on to get caught up. And that the reporters asked questions that would shed some light on why he'd chosen Magnolia, why the sudden interest in building a factory.

She was just glad that he'd said the poorer citizens of the city would get first pick of jobs. Of course, she knew that they would still have to have some sort of experience to be qualified, but still… He'd said the company would provide training. He was already creating opportunities within his own company for the people of Lower Magnolia to climb higher than minimum wage jobs.

"When the water we drink is under attack, what do we do?"

"Stand up! Fight back!"

She scowled and set her attention fully on the man wearing that ridiculous black bandanna over his face. "Don't you care that people are literally starving to death?" she shouted at him.

"Stand up! Fight back!" he shouted.

"You've got some fucking nerve!" she shouted, raising her voice over the crowd on her side who booed at the protesters' incessant chanting. "Bitch-bun, how are you gonna come down here and yell about _Save the planet_ when these people don't even make enough in a month to buy that pair of shoes you're wearing?"

"The fuck?" he asked, finally looking at her again. "My shoes have nothing to do with this!"

"Fuck you! I've seen the child sweatshop that makes those shoes in Alvarez!" She threw her arms out to the sides, gesturing to the people around her. "You know nothing about what we need!"

"I'd assume you need water to drink," he said, keeping his voice raised so she could hear him over the chants of his comrades. "You wanna give that bullshit company a fucking handy and fuck the world, right? They'll poison the water!"

"Tartaros isn't Balam, and this isn't Dawn City! This factory will help us! Get off your high horse and eat a fucking steak, you hippie piece of shit!"

"Jobs don't mean jack shit when your kids have no clean water to drink!" he yelled. "Or when the air is so fucking thick with pollution pouring out of that motherfucker that you can't fucking breathe!"

"We'll kill all those birds with one stone," she said, smirking. "It's called the EPA. You've heard of it, right?" He rolled his eyes at her. "There are regulations in place for things like that! If it means the poorest in the city aren't starving and killing people in the street for the thirty fucking dollars in their wallet…"

Shit. She hadn't meant to bring that up. That wasn't supposed to make her tear up like this. She hadn't even met her dad, and this had nothing to do with him. She didn't realize that he'd caught on to the catch in her voice.

"We can't even pay for medical bills or medication," she said, and suddenly, she felt a large, strong hand gently grasping hers from just behind her. "We don't have the freedom to worry about the fucking fish!"

"I'm here, sis," Laxus whispered.

She squeezed his hand, silently thanking him for the support. He knew that she was still touchy about her father. If the city had made sure Lower Magnolia hadn't fallen into squalor, then maybe she could've had a father growing up. Maybe he would've made sure her mom's cancer had been detected. Maybe life would've been wholly different. "People die every day in Lower Magnolia simply because we're the forgotten ones. The poor don't need much, right?"

The masked man's eyebrows drew together for a moment. "I hear you," he said. "But there's a better way to deal with this."

"We need the jobs!" Lucy shouted.

"We have a right to work!" Laxus shouted, corralling the others on their side to chant with him. "We have a right to work!"

"We need clean air and water!" Levy shouted in response.

"Stand up, fight back!"

Lucy wasn't sure what changed in the next few moments. She didn't know which side threw something first, but a wave rippled through the people on both sides, and something shifted in the air. There was suddenly broken glass on the pavement several yards away, closer to the stage where Mard Geer had been talking with the press. The yelling intensified and tension mounted so thick, she could feel it seeping into her pores.

She remembered this feeling. This nearly tangible essence that draped itself over her shoulders and pressed down on her from every angle.

This was just like the firefight that had killed half of her unit on her last deployment.

She put her arms out and stopped the few people around her from walking into what had been designated as a safe space. Laxus moved beside her and did the same. They refused to start anything, or allow the high emotions of those who supported Tartaros Enterprises change this from a heated but peaceful event. The group surged behind her, and she looked forward to find the masked man in the same position as her, holding others back and yelling at them to chill the fuck out. She glanced down to the stage to find Mard Geer had stopped talking, and watched with slightly widened eyes as the groups closest to the reporters converged on one another.

Had something started down there?

"Stand down!" a nearby police officer yelled to the environmental activists across from her.

Lucy glanced over to find an officer as tall as Laxus, with shoulders just as broad, tightening his grip on his handgun, still holstered on his hip. She'd known the police had guns, that was just part of their uniform, just like her rifle and pistol had been part of her own. "Get back!" Lucy yelled to the people behind her. They pressed more tightly against her. On Laxus' other side, Mira yelled the same commands, creating a barricade with others in the front row. They all had to work together, or someone could get hurt.

"Fuck!" the masked man yelled, and her gaze snapped back over just in time to see him stumbling forward into the path, past the pylons and two officers on either side of him. More bottles - plastic and glass - flew through the air from his side, some reaching into her side of the crowd.

The officer to her left drew his pistol. "Get back, you _bossa_ fucker!"

The man froze, and put his hands in the air. "Whoa, man…" His foot shuffled back an inch. Lucy shoved the crowd behind her back again, planting her feet as best as she could. He didn't look like he was from Bosco at all, what little she could see of his face. It didn't matter anyway. That was _not_ a word anyone should use. Not even the few Boscans she'd met in the military used it. Why the hell would the cop-

She gasped as two shots rang through the air, causing the protesters on both sides to panic.

She didn't panic. Her body naturally hyper-focused on every detail around her. Assessed the situation, just as she was trained to do. The world moved in slow motion. Her gaze honed in on the moment the masked man was hit in the face with a bullet. The second hit his chest. His body spun and his hands fell from a position of surrender to hold his face as he crumpled to the ground. She felt the oppressive weight of sunlight on her skin that highlighted the subtle streaks of pale red in his tied back hair.

The garbled scream he let loose as he curled in on himself threw both sides into a frenzy.

"Fuck you, pig!" Gajeel roared. It was visibly harder to hold the crowd back on that side.

"He had his hands up!" Mira shrieked from beside her.

"I got you on fucking camera!" yelled a man with long two-toned white and black hair, who stood just next to Gajeel.

"Oh my god, they shot Erik!"

"He didn't do anything!"

The sounds around her warbled, distorted until she was left with the slight ringing in her ears that had plagued her for the last ten years. Lucy took a breath, felt the vibrations of people yelling around her, of bodies undulating in the searing summer heat. They pushed to be closer, ebbed back in fear of the officers who suddenly turned on the crowds. A heavy thump in the air changed the rhythm of her racing heart. She knew that sound.

Tear gas. Someone had shot a canister of tear gas into the crowd. She wasn't sure where.

She knew all these sounds.

The screams, the blood rushing through her ears.

She knew this feeling.

The palpable outrage. The fear and the fury.

She'd seen this with different people, with different clothes and different hair. She'd seen this in Alvarez, when a man had walked in front of another unit toward the back of her convoy, and they'd shot him without remorse. The crowd had lost it. The people of Alvarez had attacked that unit, and only that unit. It had been Lucy's decision to turn around and protect their soldiers. And it had been her decision to make sure the soldier who'd started the riot had been tried for a war crime. Civilians weren't their targets. That man had been innocent.

This wasn't supposed to happen now that she was on home soil. There was supposed to be peace here.

She knew the police were trying to run crowd control. One cop had turned hundreds of people against them, and his peers would do what they could to keep the wolves at bay. She wasn't sure what sort of training normal cops had for situations like this. They didn't seem to be fully prepared, since no one was in riot gear. But someone had tear gas. Had they known this was possible, and hoped it wouldn't happen?

Had they assumed that, because this was Lower Magnolia, there was no other option? It hadn't taken much for that cop to shoot the masked man. Did he think he was somehow in danger?

Or was it all just bullshit?

Either way, these people wanted blood. Both sides had foregone their original purpose of coming to the press conference. They no longer cared about the environmental impact of Tartaros' factory, or how it would help the city.

At least, the people around her, and the ones she could see across the path that the police now struggled to keep clear, were solely focused on the man on the ground. And the fact that he'd been shot with his hands up in surrender.

But all she could see was the masked man's blood dotting the ground as he tried to shuffle up onto his hands and knees. He curled in on himself more, shielded his eyes and cradled his right shoulder. She noticed the heavy breaths he sucked in, how the thin fabric of his shirt shuddered with each trembling inhale.

No one came closer. Even with their anger, and how they pushed against the officers, yelled in their faces... No one tried too hard to break past and help him.

The officer, with his gun still drawn, took a step toward the center of the path, toward the prone man.

More shots thunked through the air at a distance, over their heads, bounced off the ground. The other officers pushed the crowds back, away from the injured man. They didn't let anyone close enough to help him.

She saw the officer still aiming. This man was helpless now. Still, the officer held his pistol at the ready. Lucy's body moved on instinct, and she darted forward to put herself between the man who she'd been yelling at only minutes prior - his name was Erik, someone had said it, and it finally registered - and the officer who, when she looked into his dull grey eyes, glared down at Erik with unadulterated hatred.

* * *

Macbeth stared in horror at the scene unfolding in front of him, holding his phone up to capture every moment. He kept Erik in the frame at all times. He refused to lose sight of his best friend for even a moment, because just a couple missing seconds in a video could be all it took for someone to lie and claim something else happened.

Erik writhed in pain on the ground, bracing himself with one hand on the burning concrete and smearing bright splashes of his blood over it. He was bleeding too much. Head wounds bled a lot, but he'd been shot in the face. There was too much blood. So much of it painted on the concrete, still splashing down from the thick rivulets running down his cheek.

"Gajeel, you need to get to him," Macbeth said. Gajeel carried loads of medical supplies in his pockets. He could help Erik at least stop the bleeding until they could get him to the hospital for proper treatment. Or even to Juvia's medical tent. She wasn't fully equipped for something like this, but she was a nurse. Her emergency treatment could save Erik until he was taken to a hospital.

"Move outta my fuckin' way!" Gajeel roared at the nearest officer who blocked his path. "He's fuckin' hurt!" The officer didn't move, and Gajeel barely held himself back. They couldn't go after the police. They didn't stand a chance against armed officers. And Macbeth already knew that Gajeel only stayed in place because, if he was taken down, no one else could help Erik. This was supposed to be a peaceful protest.

None of them had been prepared for this.

Macbeth shifted the camera slightly, keeping Erik in the bottom of the frame while centering the camera on Lucy as she jumped in front of the officer who'd shot him. And instantly, her feet planted themselves at shoulder width, her hands went to rest at the small of her back, one flat palm against the back of her other hand. She looked every bit the soldier he'd been told she was from Levy and Gajeel. Proud, strong, fearless.

"It was just a rubber bullet, lady," the officer said with a sneer. "You need to move."

"Fucking make me," she spat. "I dare you."

Macbeth shuddered. She sounded dead inside. There was no emotion in her voice even as her head tilted back to maintain eye contact. "Someone get another angle!" he yelled. "I'm getting all this on video!"

"I'm live right now!" someone shouted from the other side of the path. "You can't stop us from recording this! The police just shot a protester!"

"Everyone get back!" an officer bellowed. Two other officers moved closer to help remove Lucy.

"Erik, it's gonna be alright," Macbeth said, keeping his eyes trained on the glaring competition happening between Lucy and the officer. It didn't last long. The officer reached for her arm with the hand not on his gun, and she pushed it away with some weird martial arts move.

Her feet didn't move as she stayed close to Erik. As soon as it was done, her hands returned to their position behind her back. She made a show of not doing anything past keeping him from touching her. She didn't hurt him. She remained a stoic soldier.

"Stop resisting!" the officer shouted in her face. He reached for her again, and Lucy shifted her weight to the side, putting herself right in front of his gun.

"Are you arresting me?" she asked.

"I'm about to!"

Macbeth was just about to try and get closer, or make an opening for Gajeel to slide in and get to Erik. He was glad that he'd kept the camera on her when she took a breath from deep within her chest and suddenly yelled, "Hoo'ah!" The sound of her voice echoed down the pier, bounced off the water and shot right into the sky.

Macbeth jumped when there was a thundering chorus of "Hoo'ah!" that echoed back. His eyes began to water as a soft, hot breeze pushed the tear gas from down by the stage toward them.

"Soldiers!" she bellowed from the depths of her soul.

Another round of "Hoo'ah!" answered her call. How had she known there would be people to respond to her? Macbeth looked around, and found people moving closer with purpose. They squared their shoulders, kept their mouths set in grim lines and their eyes were steely. Focused. They carefully slid around other protesters who were still screaming at the officers surrounding her and Erik. Further down the pier, several fights had broken out between the two sides.

A woman with bright red hair pulling into a high, tight ponytail marched out of the crowd where Lucy had come from and took a position on the opposite side of Lucy, placing her back to Erik and standing with her feet apart, hands behind her back. Two men - one older with ginger hair down to his shoulders and a metal prosthetic right arm, the other younger with bright blue hair and a vibrant red tattoo on his face - marched out of the crowd on Macbeth's side, taking position on either side of Erik. They created the perfect barricade around him.

"Who do we fight?" Lucy called.

"The enemy!" several in the crowd bellowed in response.

"Berets!"

A much smaller number of people called back with what sounded like barking. The three other people also participated in the strange barking call. Were these people all Special Forces in the military? They weren't in uniform, so that had to mean they were all veterans. The officer in front of her went red in the face, sneered and revealed perfectly aligned pearly white teeth. He moved, and the next thing Macbeth knew, he held a canister in front of Lucy's face.

He maced her.

She didn't move. She stood there. She took it all. He didn't let up, even after several seconds.

"What do we strive for?" Lucy bellowed, unfazed. Macbeth nearly dropped his phone.

"To excel in war!" the people closest to her yelled in response.

"Who are we?" she yelled. The officer took a small step back, and it wasn't until Macbeth moved just slightly to be able to see her face, still being sprayed with mace, that he found out why.

Her eyes were open, glaring in defiance at the cop as she and the other soldiers yelled, "Fiore's Green Berets!"

The officer's finger slipped off the button, and he shook the canister. Had he run out?

Her sudden smile was chilling. How the hell was she doing that? Mace had left him a blubbering mess at the LGBTQ rally. It had been hard to breathe, or even think of anything past the pain in his eyes, the sudden burning in his nose. She didn't seem fazed in the slightest. The longer he looked at her, the more he felt like he was seeing a war reflected in the honey orbs. The pain and the death, piles of bodies left behind her small frame and innocent face.

"Soldiers!" she bellowed.

The entire crowd bolstered their sudden shout of "Hoo'ah!"

"Who do we fight?"

"The enemy!" soldiers in plain clothing shouted.

"Foreign?"

"And domestic!" they answered.

The ex-Green Beret with the prosthetic arm drew Macbeth's attention. He wasn't entirely sure how, but he felt compelled to look at the older man with the steely orange gaze and stubble on his jaw. He didn't move from his position, but looked at Gajeel. And then he shifted just slightly to the left. An opening that Macbeth was able to clearly see Erik through.

"Gajeel, now," Macbeth hissed. The cop maced Lucy again, but she still didn't move. Macbeth made sure to record the moment she opened her mouth, then spit mace right back at the cop. Gajeel darted forward, shouldered past the officer in front of him, and bent down to get Erik off the ground as soon as the man guarding him moved. He didn't move to the side. He stepped around Gajeel and widened his stance, keeping everyone from getting to both Gajeel and Erik.

Without a word, the other three followed suit.

"I gotcha," Gajeel said, wrapping his arms around Erik's quivering chest. "It'll be fine."

"M-My fucking eye," Erik whimpered.

"Protect our civilians!" Lucy bellowed. "Protect our city!"

"Hoo'ah!"

Pandemonium followed. It was difficult to keep track, but a woman with long silver hair ran forward to help Gajeel get Erik off the ground and away from the police. Gajeel took one arm, and the unfamiliar woman took the other.

"It's Mira," she said gently. "It's okay now. We'll get you to the hospital."

Erik couldn't seem to walk. His head hung low and his feet dragged with uneven steps as he tried in vain to stumble away. Three of the people who'd surrounded Erik went along, keeping guard around them and guiding them back to the safety of the large group. With them in control of that situation, Macbeth was ready to leave as well.

"Get on the ground!"

"I've done nothing wrong," Lucy said.

She was alone now. Still standing where she'd been when she went to defend Erik.

A loud bang echoed in the air, and Macbeth crouched down, only to find thick plumes of smoke rising from near the stage. He was sure he heard someone yell _tear gas_ as the crowd began to disperse. Angry shouts filled the air before the wind pushed more toward them. Macbeth coughed and covered his nose with his arm. He fought to stay where he was, even as people rushed past him to get away from the gas.

He stayed a moment longer. Erik was gone. Why wasn't she moving?

The cop reached down to his belt and grabbed something Macbeth had never seen before. It looked similar to a gun, but it was bright yellow and there were two strange prongs on the front. The prongs shot forward with thin metal wires connecting them to the gun, and lodged in Lucy's bare shoulder.

There was a distinct buzz of electricity. Was that…?

"Why the fuck are you tasing her!" Sorano yelled from just next to him. He knew she'd seen the whole thing. There was no way to miss this.

"Holy shit," Macbeth whispered. "Holy fucking shit!" They were tasing her? For what? She'd defended Erik, who was wrongly hurt! He coughed again and wiped his eyes, trying his best to ignore the burning sensation of tears on his cheeks. Another thump in the air. More gas to disperse the crowd.

She convulsed and stumbled back several steps. As she tried to reach up to remove it, her knees buckled, leaving her kneeling on the ground. Lucy glared up at the officer, finally succeeding in ripping the metal prongs from her arm. Macbeth couldn't stop staring at the thin trails of blood streaking down her barely tanned skin.

An officer stormed closer and pushed him back, yelled something he didn't hear. Macbeth was too focused on recording this. Making sure he documented every second.

Two other officers hit Lucy with a shot from their tasers and she collapsed, face first in Erik's blood still on the ground. She didn't scream.

"The cops just tased a veteran!" Macbeth yelled to the crowd.

"Back the fuck up!" the cop yelled at Macbeth. He sneered when the man reached around and grabbed Sorano with a bruising grip.

"Fuck you, pig!" she screeched. He barely caught it in the frame while keeping a focus on Lucy - who was being pinned to the ground with an officer kneeling on her back and another on her legs - when Sorano cocked a fist back and clocked the officer right in the jaw. "Put your hands on me, and I'll fucking kill you!"

"Sorano!" Macbeth yelled.

"Fuck them!" she shouted. She had a fucking deathwish. He was sure of it as she dashed into the fray and kicked a cop in the head to get him off Lucy's back. Sorano was tased without warning, then hit with a baton in her arms and stomach.

He recorded the cops cuffing Lucy and Sorano, and literally dragging both women away. He made sure to capture Lucy's face. Her closed eyes and blood that wasn't her own on her cheek and soaking into her tank top. It was only then that he realized she was still wearing dog tags around her neck, when the sun glinted off the metal and nearly blinded him. "The cops maced and tased Major Lucy Heartfilia! They arrested her for protecting us!"

He moved to Sorano's face, the bruises already forming on her cheek, the blood on her lips, the shit-eating grin she gave him. She was always starting shit, but this time, she'd jumped into the middle of it. He hadn't a clue why. Maybe because Lucy was a woman. She was exceptionally vocal about women's rights. Maybe it was because of something else.

He wouldn't know until she was bailed out.

He ended the video only after Lucy and Sorano were tossed into the back of a police car that immediately drove off. What was surprising was seeing Levy's car hightailing it after the cruiser.

Was she making sure there were no detours on the way to the police station?

Good idea.

When Macbeth turned to look at the crowd, he noticed how empty the stage was. Mard Geer must have left when things got crazy. There were still reporters recording what was happening from a safe distance to not be affected by the tear gas that was still making his eyes water.

He pulled his shirt up over his nose and ran toward the nearest reporter, hidden in an alcove by a run-down fishery. "You want a story?" he asked. The older man in front of him was someone he'd seen on television when he was a kid. Warrod Sequen. His wrinkled face and forest green hair were more apparent in real life. Macbeth held up his phone when he knew that he had the man's attention. "I just got a full recording of the police shooting a protester in the face, macing a veteran and arresting her for protecting him, and beating another protester."

"You, what?!" Warrod shouted.

Macbeth's crimson eyes gleamed. Erik always did tell him that he had a knack for stirring the pot and pissing people off. It ran in the family. He and Sorano could do this shit all day, and he was damn well going to use it to their advantage. "Plaster this all over the news," he said. "If you won't, I'll find someone who will."

Warrod's nonexistent brows drew together and the heavy lines around his eyes and mouth deepened.

Macbeth smirked. "The two were arguing seconds before this happened," he added. "They were on opposite sides until he was shot."

"This is definitely newsworthy," Warrod said. His gaze darted around to the thinning protesters.

Macbeth knew what buttons to push. He knew Warrod and what he'd covered in detail over the years. This was the reporter who had inspired both him and Erik to take a more vested interest in humanity's effect on nature. And he was the same man who, twenty years ago, covered the race riots in Crocus on television. Warrod didn't mince words, and he clearly sided with equality. He'd gotten himself arrested on live television, just outside the palace, when he'd put down his microphone and took up a sign to join the protest.

Yeah, Macbeth knew this was already tempting, but he could make the deal sweeter. A perfectly horrendous trifecta that he was going to make sure ruined that police officer's entire fucking career. "And I can prove the officer shot him for no other reason than his race."

"Let me see that video," Warrod said immediately.


	6. Mosaic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response for the last chapter was amazing! Thank you guys so much! And I'm really glad you liked where this story went. Enough of all that, I know you're chomping at the bit to get to the story.
> 
> (Also, I'm so sorry for the lateness of these final chapters. Writing has been a struggle, and with my current course load and teaching at the university… Spare time is hard to come by.)

Sorano could readily admit that she'd seriously underestimated Lucy when she'd first seen that post. Rogue had been the one to send it to her - though she did find it interesting that he and Milliana had blocked each other, even if she didn't know why they'd done it - just as a piece of information from _the other side_. He didn't have a vested interest one way or another in what was happening with Tartaros building a factory.

He was just interested in snooping in other people's information. Slinking around in the shadowy corners of the internet to ruin people's lives.

He'd also been the one to give her Lucy's information when Sorano had fabricated some story about why she needed it. From what she could tell, Rogue had already had it when she'd asked. Almost as soon as she'd hit send, he'd replied.

But now, after what she'd seen Lucy do only moments after having gotten into a shouting match with Erik…

She glanced at the stirring blonde woman slumped beside her in the back of the racing police car with its siren blaring for no real reason. Sorano definitely had some solid respect for her. She'd known a few people who had signed up for the military, only to finish their two year contract and get the hell out of there. None of them compared to the way Lucy had commanded that barricaded path.

She was still baffled by the utter lack of fear in Lucy's eyes when she'd had the officer's gun in her face.

Sorano shifted slightly and winced while trying to grab her phone from inside her bra. Hopefully it wasn't broken. Hitting her with their batons had been overkill. They'd already tased her, and she wasn't fighting back at the time. Sure, she'd cold-clocked one cop to get into the path, and kicked another one to try pulling them off Lucy… But really. The beating was excessive.

Lucy mumbled as they took a turn just a little too sharp. Sorano finally reached her phone, unlocked it with her fingerprint, and started a live video on FaeSpace. She'd made enough of them to not need to look at the screen too much. She didn't give a shit if it was legal; Erik knew things like that. All she cared about was making sure there was evidence, in case something went wrong.

She turned the phone toward Lucy, to record the way she laid so heavily against the door. Sorano honed in on the blood trickling down her arm, the two punctures from what she could assume was a taser. The camera shifted higher, to Erik's blood smeared on the front of her white tank top, and the chain of her dog tags that had slid off toward her armpit.

"Got a car following," the driver said.

Sorano kept her eyes mostly closed and peeked through her lashes to watch his partner turn, stare out the back window. She quickly lowered the phone so the light from the screen wouldn't alert them to her recording. "Go right to the station," he growled. "No detours this time."

"Bullshit…" Sorano kept her body limp as they rounded another corner in the opposite direction. She didn't want them to know that she was actually awake. It would be easier to get them to say something stupid if they thought no one was listening. Lucy's eyes fluttered for a moment, then slowly slid open.

The second officer chuckled and knocked his fist against the driver's shoulder. "What, you didn't get enough action last time we pulled a couple girls over?"

"Shut up," the driver hissed. She was positive he adjusted his rearview mirror to look into the backseat, so Sorano closed her eyes fully. She wasn't sure where they were going. What she did know was that they arrived at some point. And that whole time, Lucy didn't fully wake up.

She mumbled a little bit, but she wasn't actually _awake_. That was a bit concerning. Shouldn't she have woken up by then? Maybe they should've taken her to the hospital. Sorano was sure her ribs were, at the very least, bruised. It hurt to breathe, and she couldn't really seem to get a full breath in. Still, Sorano could manage. But the police had treated Lucy like she was some wild irradiated elephant trampling the city as they'd converged on her. She definitely needed a doctor.

When they got to the precinct, both officers jumped out of the car as soon as it was put in park. Fuck. Sorano turned the camera toward her and quickly said, "Everyone, save this video. We were arrested at the protest."

She glanced out the window and saw the two officers standing by the hood of the cruiser, talking and laughing. They hadn't a clue she was recording. This could be good.

"They're outside talking now. Two cops…" She breathed a quick description of them, trying to make sure she didn't make much noise. Then she winced. It hurt to breathe too deeply. Still, Sorano turned the camera to Lucy again. "This is Major Lucy Heartfilia. She was maced and tased by police for protecting Erik - who was shot in the face by an officer at the protest today. That's Erik's blood on her shirt. I tried to stop them." She turned the camera to herself again. "They tased me and beat me with fucking batons."

A loud knock on the hood of the car drew her attention, and she turned her phone at the same time to capture the moment she realized the officers were glaring at her.

"They know I'm recording," she whimpered. The passenger came to get Sorano while the driver rushed to drag Lucy from the backseat. "If anything happens to my phone, they're tampering with evidence."

"This one's still out," the driver said as he jostled Lucy's still-bleeding shoulder. Sorano wanted to end it, but she wanted to keep documenting things.

"She'll be fine," his partner said. He threw open the door and wrapped his thick, grubby sausage fingers around the metal cuffs digging into Sorano's wrists, then yanked her from the seat. She wasn't able to hold back the sudden agonized scream as searing heat tore through her midsection. Her ribs had to be broken. "Oh, shut up. You're fine!"

"It hurts," she wheezed. Sorano stumbled across the pavement for two steps, crying out again as her knees buckled and her phone fell from her loose grip.

"Shut up!" he roared. "You can't record us." The tears welling in her eyes blurred her vision, but not enough for her to miss his boot stomping down on the screen.

The trip into the precinct was a blur. Every jostling step had her willing to just let herself be dragged to a cell. She couldn't make out the difference between bulletin boards or barred windows or intake desks. She heard Lucy's boots dragging on the grey tile floor somewhere nearby, but that was it.

"I n-need a doctor," she whimpered as the officer nearly tossed her into a plastic blue chair and roughly pressed each of her fingers onto an ink pad, then what she assumed was a piece of paper.

"Sir," an unfamiliar man said from in front of her.

"Fuck off, kiss-ass," he spat. "She was resisting. She doesn't need shit."

"She doesn't look okay," the kiss-ass said. "Or that other woman you brought in."

"Eve, you're on desk duty for a fucking reason. Stop pretending to be a real cop."

Sorano took another shallow breath. She didn't let it out. She tried breathing in again. Only a little. Enough to make the pain more manageable. When she coughed, the bright splash of red across her little smudged fingerprints on the page was a beautifully macabre mosaic that spurred the man across from her into action.

"I'm calling paramedics!" he shouted.

* * *

Gajeel couldn't take his burning gaze away from the small television mounted in the corner of the hospital waiting room. His legs jumped in a steady rhythm, a failed attempt at getting the nervous energy out in a healthy way. He just needed a nurse or doctor or some sort of scrubs-bedecked orderly to come bursting through some swinging doors like they always did in the movies, to tell him that Erik was out of surgery and that he'd make a full recovery.

His scowl etched itself further into his face when he remembered that this ER waiting room didn't have swinging doors. Made sense. Not exactly all that great for keeping the dregs of society from wheedling their way into the back where they could score syringes and drugs.

" _Doctor Porlyusica to Trauma 2. Doctor Porlyusica…"_

He didn't give a fuck about some random doctor. He cared about the news report on the fucking screen. Except he could barely hear it over all the bullshit in this stupid fucking emergency room.

A heavy metal hand landed on his knee, forcefully stopping him from shaking it right off at the fucking hip.

"I'll see if I can't get that nurse to turn it up," Gildarts said softly.

"Ya don't have to stay," Gajeel muttered. He glanced toward the - as he'd come to learn during the rushed walk to Juvia's minivan, and subsequent mad dash to the hospital - retired Green Beret. "Ya don't even know Cobra."

Gildarts just chuckled, patted his knee with enough force that Gajeel questioned whether he was going to disintegrate the cartilage inside into useless little cubes. Then Gildarts stood and walked toward the nearby nurse station.

"I met him before," Mira said from her seat on Gajeel's other side. His brows lowered as he looked back at the television to see reporters covering the empty docks, now that the tear gas had disappeared. "Last week."

"Yeah?"

"He came down to the bar," she said, leaning back to try and get more comfortable. They both watched the little volume bar appear on the bottom of the screen, then listened as the reporter's voice became clearer. "He was the one who let me know about Lucy being doxxed." She laughed quietly, fondly, in the way that Gajeel knew only Mira could pull off without sounding like a tittering fucking moron. "A gallant knight, dashing into the pits of Lower Magnolia to save his damsel in fatigues."

"Y'got some serious fuckin' issues," Gajeel muttered. He crossed his arms, nodding to Gildarts in thanks when the older man sat beside him again. "Get the nurse's number?"

"Of course," Gildarts chuckled, wiggling a pale yellow post-it note between his prosthetic fingers. "What kind of man would I-"

"Shut up," Gajeel said, leaning forward in his seat. He focused more intently on the television as Warrod Sequen and Macbeth appeared on the screen.

Macbeth's eyes were still red-rimmed and puffy from the tear gas. He'd pulled his hair up into a ponytail, most likely to get a little relief from the summer heat.

" _Warrod Sequen here for Channel 6 News,"_ Warrod said into the microphone he'd commandeered from one of his fellow reporters. A woman who, in the background, stared in awe at his wrinkled face. _"As we all know, tensions ran high today at the press conference for Tartaros Enterprises. But a protest turned into a bloodbath with police instigating violence instead of maintaining the peace."_

Fucking nice. Gajeel smirked as Warrod turned toward Macbeth and asked him a question.

" _You were right there in the thick of it?"_

" _Yeah. I still don't know how it went out of control to begin with, but both sides lost it, and my friend Erik got pushed into what everyone knew was the 'safe zone.'"_

" _Where the police had clearly marked that no protesters could pass?"_ Warrod clarified.

" _Yeah,"_ Macbeth replied. _"But then some cop acted like Erik did it on purpose. He had his hands up-"_

" _Erik did?"_

" _Yeah,"_ Macbeth said. _"Erik had his hands up, and the cop shot him in the face after calling him… W-Well, I can't say it. But it's about Boscans... I got it all on camera."_

Warrod turned his attention back to the screen. _"I've sent that video to the producers, and I've seen it myself. Jenny, please show the video so our viewers can see this."_

" _I haven't seen this yet,"_ Jenny said when the screen changed to show her in the studio. _"But I'm going to guess here that it's pretty graphic."_

The screen changed again, showing off Macbeth's mostly steady camerawork as he recorded the crowd behind himself, Erik at his side, then the wide space between them and the other protesters with police officers barricading the path.

_"We need the jobs!" Lucy shouted._

_"We have a right to work!" Laxus shouted, corralling the others on their side to chant with him. "We have a right to work!"_

_"We need clean air and water!" Levy shouted in response._

_"Stand up, fight back!"_

_The crowds shuffled and writhed, and the camera honed in on Lucy putting her arms out to stop the few people around her from walking into what had been designated as a safe space. Laxus moved beside her and did the same. The group surged behind her, then the camera shifted quickly toward the ground, then toward the crowd behind Macbeth._

" _Chill the ~~ **beep**~~ out!" Erik shouted._

" _Stand down!" a nearby police officer yelled._

" ~~ _ **B**_~~ _ ~~ **eep**~~!" Erik yelled, and the camera lifted to show him stumbling forward into the path, past the pylons and two officers on either side of him. More bottles - plastic and glass - flew through the air from their side, some reaching into the other side of the crowd._

_The officer to the right left drew his pistol, just barely within the frame. "Get back, you_ ~~_**beep** _ _**beep** _ ~~ _!"_

_Erik froze, and put his hands in the air. "Whoa, man…" His foot shuffled back an inch, turning so the fear in his eyes was captured as he stared at the gun._

_Two shots rang through the air, causing the protesters on both sides to panic. Erik's body spun and his hands fell from a position of surrender to hold his face as he crumpled to the ground. The garbled scream he let loose as he curled in on himself threw both sides into a frenzy._

" _ ~~ **B**~~ ** ~~eep~~ **__you,_ ~~ _ **beep**_~~ _-holes!" Gajeel roared. The camera didn't show how fiercely Erik's side of the protest lunged toward the officers, but the microphone did capture the rising volume of their outraged cries._

" _He had his hands up!" Mira shrieked from the other side._

" _I got you on_ _ ** ~~beep~~ **__camera!" Macbeth shouted._

" _Oh my god, they shot Erik!"_

" _He didn't do anything!"_

_The sounds of cans of tear gas thunking in the air rang through the air, barely audible over the crowd's roar. Erik's blood dotted the ground as he tried to shuffle up onto his hands and knees. He curled in on himself more, shielded his eyes and cradled his right shoulder. The officer, with his gun still drawn, took a step toward the center of the path, toward Erik._

_The other officers pushed the crowds back, away from Erik. They didn't let anyone close enough to help him. Lucy jumped into the middle of the path, placing herself between Erik's prone form and the officer who still had his gun at the ready. Her feet planted themselves at shoulder width, her hands went to rest at the small of her back, one flat palm against the back of her other hand. She looked every bit the soldier_

" _It was just a rubber bullet, lady," the officer said with a sneer. "You need to move."_

" ~~ _ **B** **eep**_~~ _make me," she spat. "I dare you."_

Gajeel stared at the screen, his jaw hanging open as he watched it unfold all over again. Everything had been moving too quickly for him to see it all. But now? Now he noticed how much Erik writhed on the ground. How much of his blood painted the concrete. He noticed the set to Lucy's shoulders, her commanding presence.

At the time, he'd been solely focused on Erik, and trying to figure out how to fucking get him off the ground and to a hospital.

But watching the video Macbeth had taken let him see it all again with fresh eyes. The moment when Lucy called out to the soldiers in the crowd gave him fucking goosebumps. When she bellowed out, _"What do we strive for?"_ while being maced, he felt his soul trying to crawl out of his gaping fucking mouth.

More importantly, the video captured exactly what he hadn't seen, in the moments after Gajeel rushed into the frame and Lucy's fellow Green Berets helped him drag Erik to safety. Lucy standing alone, staring down the officer who pulled out a taser.

_"Why the_ ~~_**beep** _ ~~ _are you tasing her!" Sorano yelled._

_"Holy_ ~~_**beep** _ ~~ _," Macbeth whispered. "Holy_ ~~_**beep** _ _**beep** _ ~~ _!"_

_She convulsed and stumbled back several steps. As she tried to reach up to remove it, her knees buckled, leaving her kneeling on the ground._

_An officer stormed closer and pushed Macbeth back, yelling, "Put that_ ~~_**beep** _ ~~ _phone away!"_

_Two other officers hit Lucy with a shot from their tasers and she collapsed, face first in Erik's blood still on the ground. She didn't scream._

_"The cops just tased a veteran!" Macbeth yelled to the crowd._

_"Back the_ ~~_**beep** _ ~~ _up!" the cop yelled at Macbeth, then reached around and grabbed Sorano with a bruising grip._

_" ~~ **B**~~_ ~~_**eep** _ ~~ _you, pig!" she screeched. Lucy was pinned to the ground with an officer kneeling on her back and another on her legs. Sorano cocked a fist back and clocked the officer right in the jaw. "Put your hands on me, and I'll ~~ **beep**~~ kill you!"_

_"Sorano!" Macbeth yelled._

_" ~~ **Beep**~~ them!" Sorano shouted, then dashed into the fray and kicked a cop in the head to get him off Lucy's back. Sorano was tased without warning, then hit with a baton in her arms and stomach._

"What the actual fuck?" Gajeel hissed.

Gildarts whistled low as the recording ended and the screen returned to show Jenny still in the studio, with tears on her cheeks and her lips parted in horror. "Leave it to Lucy to keep her eyes open during that," he chuckled.

"She reenlisted in the gas chamber," Mira laughed, leaning forward to look at Gildarts. "I lost 50 Jewels that day."

"Only Lucy," he laughed loudly.

Gajeel stared in horror at the two of them. "What the fuck is wrong with you two?!" he yelled, cringing when the nurse at the intake desk shushed him. Ornery bitch.

" _Macbeth,"_ Warrod said, drawing their attention back to the television that showed the two still standing on the pier. _"What can you tell me about what we just saw?"_

Macbeth sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes. _"Erik is a pacifist. And right before this all went down, he and Lucy were arguing. But she still jumped in to save him. I don't know her, but I have friends who do."_

" _What can you tell us about the people who surrounded Erik?"_ The screen changed to show the portion of the video with Erza, Jellal, and Gildarts moving to stand in a human barricade around Erik's crumpled body, and Macbeth's voice washed over the scene.

" _I don't know how she did it. How they knew to help her protect him. It still doesn't make sense, and I watched the video over and over again. But they're all veterans. Maybe it's part of their training? I don't know. I just know that those Green Berets probably saved his life."_

" _And then she was by herself,"_ Warrod said as the clip continued.

" _I kept filming it. I didn't know why she stayed when Erik was taken away. I just figured, if something happened, I wanted to make sure it was documented."_

" _And we know that something did happen."_

" _Yeah… That ~~ **beep**~~ tased her. All she did was protect my best friend."_

" _The video cuts off with her and another woman being put into a police cruiser,"_ Warrod said. _"Do you know anything else about what happened to them?"_

" _No. Someone told me they should've been put in an ambulance, though. I don't know-"_

" _Warrod,"_ Jenny interjected, with the screen returning to her, _"Sorry to cut this short, but we have breaking news."_

Gajeel's eyes widened in shock as a shaky camera recording appeared on the screen with another reporter whose name he didn't give a shit about walking quickly and talking to the cameraman.

" _Get this on camera! The women from the protest are being taken away from the precinct in an ambulance. We don't know what's happened, but two officers are being detained. They're screaming something. Let's see if we can't get closer to find out."_

The cameraman dashed after the reporter, and they stopped at the edge of a parking lot. The screen zoomed in on a blonde woman on one stretcher and a silver-haired woman on another stretcher with paramedics placing a mask over her face and squeezing a bag attached to it. Lucy and Sorano.

" _... don't know what… thinking!"_ one officer yelled at the two men in handcuffs. _"... have your badges… ~~ **beep**~~!"_

The report cut back to Jenny. _"We'll be keeping a close eye on the situation as it unfolds. In other news…"_

Gajeel scoffed and slouched in his chair. Fuck. Lucy and Sorano weren't taken to the hospital after all. Not yet, at least. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Levy, who he knew was down at the precinct waiting to figure out what the hell was going on. She'd texted him as much when she realized where the cops were taking Sorano and Lucy.

_Angel n Bunny r gettn wee-woo'd 2 hospital. Still in ER waitin 4 news abt Cobra._

This was going to be a long fucking day, that was for sure.


	7. Weight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still feel really weird about not having this story finished during CoLu Week (this is the first year that's ever happened!), but I'm glad you're all enjoying it and being gracious in understanding the slow updates from me.

It had been three days since the protest. Erik woke up for the first time on Monday morning to find Macbeth sitting in a chair beside his bed and a man he didn't recognize with heavy metal prosthetics standing guard at his hospital room door.

What the actual fuck had happened?

"Midnight?" he rasped.

Macbeth's head shot up and his plum-painted lips pulled into a wide smile that, honestly, kind of freaked Erik out. His best friend didn't smile at him like that. Ever. Which had to mean that Erik was laid up in a hospital bed because he'd nearly fucking _died_.

"What happened?"

"What do you remember?" Macbeth asked instead of giving him a straight answer.

"Tartaros factory," he said softly, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the pillow. His whole head was foggy, heavy. Must be some solid anesthesia they gave him. He didn't question whether he was in a hospital, or whether this was a fucked up dream. It made sense. It wouldn't be the first time a protest had left one of them in a hospital bed for a day or so. "Talked with Black Steel and Shortstack." He frowned slightly. "And then… Tartaros showed up."

When Erik looked at Macbeth again, he could see the concern in his friend's crimson eyes.

"Anything else?"

Was there more he was missing? Erik thought harder. Just waking up had left him confused, sure, but he could tell there was more that was missing.

"The protest," he said, looking at the orange-haired man standing at the door. That guy was watching him, but hadn't said a word. Who the fuck was he? Why was he familiar? Erik sat up slightly, groaning as he pulled on his IV. "I know you," he said. The hair, the stubble, the prosthetic arm and leg. He knew this guy, from somewhere. Sitting with a woman, who shouted at him _Okay, Boomer!_ Where did he... "From Fairy Tail."

The man smirked. "Gildarts," he said. "What else do you remember?"

"What are you doing here?" Erik asked instead.

"Protection," Gildarts said.

"From what?!" Erik asked. He looked back to Macbeth, who was looking at a computer he'd pulled out of fucking nowhere. Was no one going to fucking tell him?

"Do you remember Lucy?" Macbeth asked.

Erik frowned again. So he was being left in the dark on that, then. Still, he couldn't forget Lucy. Sorano had doxxed her, and he'd met Gildarts in passing because of that. "That Army chick."

"Do you remember seeing her at the protest?" Macbeth asked.

Erik… couldn't rightly recall right then. He assumed maybe he had seen her, but he wasn't sure.

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

He wanted to say yes, but he didn't. He couldn't pull the information out, even though he could tell it was there, in his head. "I-I…"

"You were shot in the face," Gildarts said. Erik jumped when he walked further into the room, and the heavy metal of his prosthetic leg thumped loudly in his ears.

Erik reached up to his face with the hand that wasn't attached to an IV, his fingers trembling as he felt the bandages covering the right side of his head. This couldn't be true. He'd remember getting shot. This was a prank. Maybe this really was a dream.

"People have been posting videos from the protest all weekend," Macbeth said. "It's blown up into national news."

Weekend? How long had he been out? The protest was on Friday. "W-Weren't you recording?" Erik whimpered.

"Yeah, it's… graphic."

"Lemme see." He struggled to sit up properly, and sighed in relief when Gildarts came closer to help him do just that. He still wanted to know why he needed someone like Gildarts to stand here like some mob boss's lackey and protect him. But that could wait. Erik needed to see what happened. What he couldn't remember right then.

* * *

The sudden weight bearing down on Erik's chest was nearly too much to handle two hours after he'd started watching videos of the protest. He scrolled through one video after another, seeing the same horrific scene from different angles, with different video qualities, and different voices reacting to what they witnessed.

_Erik on the ground, bleeding and holding his face. Lucy jumping into the fray and getting maced without reacting. Gildarts and other Green Berets taking him to safety with Gajeel. Lucy being tased, Sorano beaten with batons. Both women dragged to a police car._

She didn't know him. She had no reason to help him.

She'd saved his fucking life.

As it turned out, Gildarts was staying in the hospital as Erik's bodyguard because no one trusted the police anymore. They hadn't known the name of the officer who'd shot Erik until an hour after he'd woken up. Rogue called Macbeth to let him know that the officer's name and information had already been sent to the media; apparently, he'd been working nonstop to find a video with a good enough angle to slow it down and catch the officer's nametag, then searched the Magnolia databases (probably illegally, but Erik wasn't judging at this point) to get as much information as possible about the man.

"Where is she?" he breathed, scrolling through FaeSpace to see more videos.

"Last I heard from Levy, she's still in a cell," Macbeth said softly. Erik's head snapped over to him, his single visible eye narrowing. "They brought Lucy and Sorano to the hospital, but Lucy was just in shock. Sorano's ribs got broken, and it punctured a lung, so she's still here."

"What are they charging Lucy with?" Erik asked.

"Not sure," Macbeth said, shrugging. He leaned forward and clicked on another tab on the laptop. "People are protesting at the police station now to have her released. Far as I could tell, since it was the weekend, their hands were tied."

"Bullshit," Erik hissed. "There are ways to get in touch with a judge on the weekend." He closed the computer and handed it to Macbeth, then pressed the call button on the bed railing. Repeatedly. Until a flustered nurse showed up in his doorway and nearly yelled at him. "Find a doctor and get me discharged," he said. "I'll sign the forms for leaving against a doctor's suggestion, but I'm leaving in an hour, whether you want me to or not."

"Wh-What?!" she shrieked.

"Get. A. Doctor. In. Here," he snarled.

She rushed away from the room, and Macbeth put a staying hand on Erik's arm before he could move an inch. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Cobra, you need to rest."

"Fuck rest," he spat. "I'm returning a favor."

* * *

The phone on his desk beeped before his secretary's tinny voice rang through the speaker. _"Mr. Draconis, there's an Erik Vivas on line 1 for you?"_

Acnologia's eyebrow lifted with intrigue. "Put him through," he said. Moments later, the light on his desk phone lit up, and he picked up the receiver. "Erik, I saw the news."

" _Hey, old man,"_ Erik chuckled.

"How are you?"

" _Missing an eye."_

Acnologia's hand tightened on the receiver. He'd seen the videos posted all over the news, on his own FaeSpace feed, and all across the internet. He knew for a fact that it had been Erik who was injured in the protest, but to hear that he'd lost his eye was something Acnologia hadn't known. "Did you now…"

" _Yeah, I'm being discharged now."_

"Shouldn't you stay in the hospital?" he asked. He knew Erik well, and that he hated hospitals, but this was probably a bad idea.

" _No."_ There was a long pause that had Acnologia frowning minutely. Erik didn't call him for anything that wasn't related to a case. And usually only for a meeting. As the District Attorney, Acnologia was usually the one opposing Erik in court. _"I hope you're at your office, because I'm on my way over."_

"Why?" Acnologia asked.

" _Why else?"_ Erik laughed. _"To discuss what you plan on doing about this bullshit case against my client."_

And suddenly, Acnologia's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He had a great many case that his office worked on, but he had a feeling Erik was about to do what he did best. Make a goddamn scene until he got his way. "Who's your client?"

Erik chuckled then. _"Major Lucy Heartfilia. I'm sure you're aware of what happened on Friday."_

"I am," Acnologia said slowly. He pulled up the case file on his computer - though it wasn't too hard, since he'd already been reviewing it that morning - and looked over the details again. "Shouldn't you be resting instead of taking on new clients?"

" _Not this one,"_ Erik said. _"You have no evidence for the charges. We'll talk when I get there."_

Acnologia knew Erik would try to get the DA's office to drop the charges without him saying much more on the subject. Assaulting an officer, disorderly conduct, and a whole list of other offenses filled the page. All from a single afternoon. Public intoxication, as well. Interesting.

" _I'll be there in ten minutes."_

Acnologia smirked as the line cut off. That meant Erik was pulling up to the building already. He set down the receiver and pressed the call button for his secretary. "Sonya, it seems I'll be having company. Clear my schedule."

" _But sir-"_

He chuckled and stood from his rich mahogany desk, then walked to his closed office door. The son he'd given up for adoption years ago was coming for a visit. Acnologia figured he could meet Erik at the door. And he had a feeling, when he saw the bandages around Erik's face and the stone-cold look in his only visible eye, that his son was going to get his way this time around.

* * *

"Heartfilia!"

Lucy looked up through the bars of the cell she shared with several other women, not pausing in doing her push-ups even when a younger officer came to stand at the door.

"Your lawyer's here."

She frowned. Lucy didn't have a lawyer. She'd used her one phone call to call Laxus and find out what was going on. And none of her friends could afford a lawyer for her. Shit, she hadn't thought she'd need a lawyer in the first place. She hadn't done anything illegal.

She kept doing push-ups.

The cop smiled at her then, which was… slightly unnerving. Except, he wasn't leering. It seemed like a genuine smile. She glanced at his name tag. _Tearm._ Good to know. "Come on," he said. "Your lawyer's here to talk to you about your case."

Finally, she stood, wiped her hands on the camo pants she'd been wearing on Friday, and went to the barred door. It opened, and she waited for Officer Tearm to put handcuffs on her. Except, he didn't. What the fuck?

He walked away, pausing when she didn't follow immediately. Lucy slowly walked out of the cell and moved to stand next to him. He was only a few inches taller than her, but his strides were long and sure. "Right this way, please," he said, eventually stopping in front of a heavy metal door. He opened it and waited for her to go into the room, then closed the door behind her.

Lucy froze at the sight of _him_ sitting in one of the uncomfortable metal chairs by a solid wooden table. She paid no mind to their surroundings, far too focused on his relaxed posture, white pressed dress shirt, and the fact that half of his face was covered in bandages.

"Major Heartfilia," he said. His voice was softer than she remembered, more professional as well. Then again, the only time she'd heard him speak was at the protest, when they'd been screaming at each other. "Please have a seat."

She blinked again, then took a seat in the chair opposite him. Was _he_ supposed to be her lawyer?

"First, I want to thank you," Erik said. "And to introduce myself." He put a hand out for her to shake. "Erik Vivas. I've taken on your case."

She shook his hand, and stared at him. She didn't have the money for something like that.

" _Pro bono_ , of course," he said, as though he'd read her mind. "I have a personal interest in your release, so… You get my services free of charge."

Her lips pursed slightly. "Sounds shady as fuck," she said.

He snorted out a laugh, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "Now that I think about it, it really does," he said. "Still, you saved me, and now I'm returning the favor."

"I don't even know what they're charging me with," she said.

His brow lifted. "Did no one inform you of the charges?"

She shook her head. "Were they supposed to?"

Erik pulled out a notepad and a fancy-looking pen that made no sound when he clicked it to start writing. He paused, looked her over for a second, then smirked as their eyes met. "And you're wearing the same clothes from the protest," he said.

She blinked slowly and looked down at herself. "Yeah," she said. "I mean, it's not a big deal. I've had someone else's blood on me for more than a couple days." He laughed and shook his head while writing some more. "That sounds worse than it really is… I-"

Erik held up a hand. "I don't need specifics," he chuckled. "You were in the military, and I've heard the highlights from Gajeel and Levy about what you did overseas. I can only assume there was blood involved."

"Oh…"

He stopped writing to look at her fully. "I'm laughing because I'm going to enjoy fucking these people over."

"Who?"

"The officers at this precinct who can't seem to follow their own job description," he said with a dark grin. "Did you know that, if you're being held more than 24 hours, you're supposed to be given clean clothing to wear?"

Lucy shook her head.

"And did you get a phone call?"

"Yeah, I called my brother," she said. "It's the only number I've got memorized."

"Anything you need to tell me about your time in here?"

"No…?" She frowned. "I just wanna know when I can go home and be done with this." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat when he took a couple more notes.

"Well, fortunately for you," he said, standing up, "the charges that they had against you have all been dropped."

She blinked. And stared. "What?"

Erik grinned again. "Nepotism at its finest," he chuckled. "The DA, upon further review of your case, and my meeting with him, has decided to drop the charges. You're free to go, but I'm happy to have my firm represent you in the event that you'd like to press charges over your treatment by the police at the protest."

"Wait a second," she said, standing and stopping him from walking toward the door. "I'm free to go?"

"You are," Erik said. "Probably would have been even without my interference, to be completely honest. What you did is all over the internet. And the news. Which…" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion when he paused. She watched as he shifted from one foot to the other, discreetly. "Fair warning, news crews are surrounding the precinct."

Lucy had a feeling, as she followed Erik out of the room and down the hall to meet with an officer at a desk - a woman with bright green eyes and deep purple hair, who politely asked Lucy to sign a couple forms so her belongings could be returned to her - that this whole situation wasn't how things were supposed to go at all. She couldn't put her finger on just what was off, but there was something she'd missed. Still, she was glad to have gotten her shoelaces back. And her dogtags. And the bottle of water that she'd had in one of the pockets in her cargo pants.

Erik waited until she'd fixed her laces and put her dogtags back on, then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Her head tipped back to meet his indigo gaze, and it was only then that she realized how tall he was. Nearly a whole foot taller than her. "You can ignore the press outside," he said. "They'll ask for a statement, and it's your choice whether you tell them anything. Or if you'd like me to speak for you."

Her lips pursed in thought. "I can make a statement, I think," she finally said.

Lucy did have something to say about this whole ordeal, that was for sure. She wasn't sure what had been happening over the weekend out in the world, but what she did know was that she needed to have her voice heard on what had happened at the protest.

They walked through the precinct, and out the front doors. Instantly, she was blinded by the flashing lights of cameras clicking away in the afternoon sun. Taking pictures of her and Erik standing together. Probably honing in on the dried blood on her clothing.

"Miss Heartfilia!" a reporter shouted.

"Did you-"

"Have you-"

"What will-"

The questions shot at her rapidfire, so quickly that she had a hard time focusing on just one thing. She didn't know who to answer first. What she should or shouldn't say.

Erik placed a hand on her lower back, then leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You don't have to talk to them."

She'd faced countless horrors over in Alvarez, had stared down the barrel of a gun enough times that she couldn't count it on her hands. But these reporters… With her head held high and her face a mask that she'd perfected while serving in the military, Lucy ignored them all. "I'd like to go home," she told Erik.

He gave her a small, understanding smile. "We can do that," he said, then pointed to the black car parked on the street, just behind the gaggle of journalists hoping for a juicy story. She looked over at the car, watched as Levy and Natsu got out of the backseat, and suddenly her chest felt weightless. Her two best friends were there, waiting for her, watching as she broke away from Erik's side and dashed through the reporters on a zig-zagging path right for them. She ignored the commotion as they came within reach, wrapping her arms around them both.

"Lu, I'm so glad you're okay," Levy breathed into her hair. Lucy could hear the way her voice trembled with emotion.

"Luce, it's good to see you," Natsu said gently. His grip around her and Levy was nearly suffocating, but she didn't mind. "Let's get you home and cleaned up. Laxus is waiting for you at Fairy Tail."

She nodded, pulling back to smile at them. Instead of letting them go, Lucy drew Levy and Natsu into a tighter hug than before. "I'm just glad you two are safe," she said. When her eyes opened again, she finally noticed the large group of protesters across the street, cheering as they raised their signs demanding her freedom into the air. She smiled at them, then closed her eyes and basked in the comfort of Natsu and Levy's arms around her.


End file.
